PBA Backs Crist, Cabinent Incumbents

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) -- The Florida Police Benevolent Association will back all three Republican Cabinet incumbents in the November elections, but will support Democrat Charlie Crist in the race for governor, the organization announced Monday.

The law enforcement union has often supported Republicans, but has a contentious relationship with Gov. Rick Scott, who has clashed with the PBA over issues like pensions and prison privatization.

A PBA official once used the first letter of each paragraph in a column in the organization's newsletter to spell out an epithet referring to Scott after the governor's office didn't respond to requests for a guest column.

Scott did not speak to the organization's board of directors this year, a requirement for getting the group's endorsement.

In addition to Crist, who was a Republican before bolting the party during the 2010 election, the PBA endorsed Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.

"The News Service of Florida contributed to this report."

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