In The News
Former Crist chief of staff shares insights
5 QUESTIONS WITH GEORGE LEMIEU
George LeMieux, Gov. Charlie Crist's former chief of staff, back in private practice at Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, shares some insights on Florida's political scene.
Ask attorney George LeMieux his reason for returning to private practice after serving as chief of staff to Gov. Charlie Crist and his answer is succinct: ``The need for sleep.''
But the intense and focused 38-year-old political operative has scarcely slowed down since returning to Gunster Yoakley & Spencer in January.
The Fort Lauderdale native, who has three young boys and, he says, ''an angel'' wife, is shuttling between his Tallahassee home and Fort Lauderdale each week as he develops a new focus on providing strategic advice to businesses in their dealings with state government or helping companies work with other Florida businesses.
''The interesting thing is when you are the governor's chief of staff you have a great opportunity to meet almost everybody in Florida,'' says LeMieux. He's running the firm's fledgling Tallahassee office and recently launched a newsletter about Florida politics and business called thelemieuxreport.com.
He paused at his law firm in Fort Lauderdale recently and offered some thoughts on Florida's political scene.
Q: What is the top legislative priority?
A: The budget is always the most dominant issue of a legislative session. It's how we spend our money, so that's where Florida and government intersect. This year, especially, with there being less revenues.
The governor has put forward a proposal -- a smart one I think -- to use reserves to help cushion this transition between sort of our challenged economy now and the economy that will be and always is in Florida, which is a good one. . . .
Trust funds build up reserve and don't get spent down. So it is not unusual -- it happened in '03 and it happened in '01 -- for state government to come in and sweep the trust funds to help fill a deficit in general revenue. It'll happen. The debate will not be whether we do it or not. The debate is going to be how much we're going to do it.
Q: Property-tax reform is still a hot issue for Florida homeowners. But it seems doubtful the Legislature will do much about it this session. What do you think?
A: It's hard to say. I think there are differing views. There are some who think we need to do more. There are some who think we need to do some. And there are some that think we don't need to do anything else. So that's got to get fleshed out.
The governor thinks we should do more. But it's also extremely difficult with the challenging budget year. That's going to be the song the band is playing and it's going to be hard to get around the budget, because everything is going to be dictated by the fact that we have got to cut.
Q: Do you think the Republican Party has an advantage since Sen. McCain has locked up the Republican nomination while the Democrats are still locked in battle?
A: I think it's hard to tell. Conventional wisdom is it's a strong benefit [to the Republican Party], because they're going to keep fighting with each other, expending resources, and our nominee can conserve resources, build an organization and get ready for whoever, and maybe take a shot or two.
But conventional wisdom is not always right, and I think a lot of the time it's wrong. And the other side is the Democrats are going to be on television every day and it's going to be harder for Sen. McCain to make news.
Q: You're predicting Charlie Crist may be Sen. McCain's choice for vice president on the Republican ticket?
A: His politics are very similar to Sen. McCain. They both are solution-oriented people who do not care who lends the good idea, who's there to help in the effort, whether you are Republican, Democrat, what part of the country, or in Charlie Crist's sense, what part of the state, they just want to get good results. And they are not, in that sense, partisans. . . . I also believe that Gov. Crist had a strong hand to play in Sen. McCain winning Florida and winning therefore the nomination. . . .
You have the middle eight to 10 to 12 states that are going to decide the election -- the swing, battleground, purple states. Florida is the most important state. And of the big three -- Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- there is no Republican other than Charlie Crist that I believe can really help deliver a state for John McCain.
Q: You once ran for the State House. Do you aspire to run again some day for political office?
A: I'm not sure. To be honest with you, it's not in the front of my mind. I've got three little men at home and a wife who is a saint. They need to see their father more, and I need to work financially to make sure that they can go to college.
We have a home that was fine for one baby that now is not very fine for five of us. And my wife has designs on a daughter, since I have three sons. So I've got some things I've got to take care of in my own life. But I'll put it this way: I want to do everything I can to help Charlie Crist. Whatever I can do now or in the future to make him successful that's what I want to do.
George LeMieux
• Age: 38
• Family: Married with three young sons
• Current job: Returned to Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart law firm as a partner in 2008 and is focused on corporate counseling and litigation. Splits his time between Fort Lauderdale office and his home in Tallahassee, where he chairs the firm's new office.
• Career: Most recently served as chief of staff for Gov. Charlie Crist in 2007. Ran Crist's 2006 gubernatorial campaign, then oversaw his transition team. Previously served as deputy attorney general and chief of staff for Crist when he was Florida Attorney General.
• Education: Graduated magna cum laude from Emory University with a bachelor's degree in political science and cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center.
