Candidate Profile: FL Attorney General: George Sheldon

Candidate: Geroge Sheldon

Office: Florida Attorney Gerneral

Party: Democrat

Former Department of Children and Families Secretary and Deputy Attorney General George Sheldon is the Democratic nominee for Florida Attorney General. Sheldon defeated Florida House Minority Leader Perry Thurston in the August primary and will face incumbent Republican Pam Bondi and Libertarian Party Candidate Bill Wohlsifer on November 4.

George Sheldon

As DCF secretary under then-Gov. Charlie Crist, Sheldon oversaw a $3 billion agency during a stable period in which foster child adoption rates rose and food stamp error rates fell. During that time, he was also involved in relief efforts for refugees from Haiti's 2010 earthquake. Later, Sheldon was one of eight assistant secretaries at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Sheldon also served eight years in the Florida House of Representatives, before leaving to make an unsuccessful run for Congress. He also came up short in past bids for Florida Education Commissioner and Attorney General. In 1999, Sheldon became Deputy Attorney General for Central Florida under then-AG Bob Butterworth.

Sheldon's political career traces all the way back to 1969, when he was a legislative aide for state senator and future governor Reubin Askew. Sheldon also served as Associate Dean at St Thomas Law School. He received both his undergrad and law degrees from Florida State.

If elected, Sheldon says that he will restore the aggressive consumer efforts that Bob Butterworth managed during his four terms. He says he would challenge the utility companies' rate filings that come before the Public Service Commission and avoid the out of state legal fights Bondi has pursued, like the Chesapeake Bay lawsuit regarding the federal Clean Water Act.

Unlike Attorney General Bondi, who is vehemently opposed to medical cannabis, Sheldon has endorsed the medical marijuana amendment on the Florida ballot this November. Sheldon also disagrees with Bondi's opposition to same sex marriage equality, saying that his opponent is "on the wrong side of history" on the issue.