Sen. Mike Haridopolos is running for the 2010-12 Senate presidency and has picked up support from senators who had previously backed Winter Haven Republican J.D. Alexander for the job.
Haridopolos, an Indialantic Republican who helmed the Senate property tax reform negotiations, hasn't hidden the fact that he was feeling out members, but made it official after five conservative GOP senators approached him this week about running.
"Things are going very well for me," Haridopolos said Friday. "J.D. has joined forces with me. We're pleased with where we stand. I have not been campaigning for it, but I accept their charge."
Besides Alexander, Sens. Mike Bennett of Bradenton and Paula Dockery of Lakeland are the only other two senators who have been actively campaigning for the Senate presidency term that would follow North Palm Beach Republican Jeff Atwater's term.
Bennett said Friday that Haridopolos was now the frontrunner for the job.
"Having J.D. on board certainly helps him, but in a deal like this you never know," Bennett said. "Let's put it this way: I think it's more important to him than it is to me."
Should Haridopolos win, his partner in the House speakership would be Dean Cannon, who also faced off with him during the regular session's property tax conferences.