The Florida attorney general's office is opening up because of Republican incumbent Charlie Crist's bid for the governor's mansion (in which he appears to be narrowly ahead as of this writing). The battle to succeed him pits Democrat state senator Skip Campbell, a plaintiff's trial lawyer, against longterm U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum. Liability reform is said to be the chief issue in the race. A poll last week had the two tied, but a new one shows McCollum with an eleven-point lead.

Meanwhile, three members of the Florida Supreme Court's liberal majority (Barbara Pariente, Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince) are on the ballot for retention, and are expected to cruise to easy wins with few if any voices raised in opposition. Scripps columnist Kenric Ward finds this peculiar given the justices' record of questionable, and deeply controversial, decrees on matters ranging from the Gore recount to the striking down of school vouchers (he might have added a number of the court's liability rulings).