Gubernatorial candidate Daryl Jones isn’t worried.
He is not even concerned that heading into Tuesday’s democratic primary he is nearly 30 percent lower in polls than his two opposing candidates.
He is a man on a mission.
“I don’t even contemplate ‘lose.’ It doesn’t enter my brain,” Jones said. “I’m a winner.”
Considering poll numbers, which rank him with 8 percent of voter support, Jones faces nationally recognized, former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and corporate lawyer Bill McBride.
Both candidates have spent millions on their campaigns compared to Jones’ few hundred thousand dollars.
Jones said he has experienced voter polls that have been misleading.
Jones, 47, successfully ran twice for the Florida Senate and once for the House of Representatives in 1990, 1992 and 1996.
“All three of my races, I have been behind in the polls,” Jones said. “And I won all three.” Jones said he began public service because he saw that it was the best way to help as many people as possible.
Now after 12 years as a state legislator, Jones said he has done all he can in the senate. He said he’s ready to go after his 20-plus-year vision of running for governor.
“At 26 years old I knew I wanted to run for governor,” Jones said. “But I knew I would have to have some experience before I got there.”
Jones went to law school at the University of Miami to become the most efficient legislator possible, he said.
He said that his training and experience in the state legislature would also make him a more effective governor, something he said his opponents can’t offer Florida.
“For example, McBride wants to raise taxes,” Jones said. “I know where all the money is. It’s not necessary to raise taxes.”
In Jones’ 16-page proposal for how to build a better Florida, Jones states that $1 billion is lost yearly in uncollected sales tax and another billion in fraudulent Medicaid claims.
“For me, winning the election is not it. For me, winning the election is the beginning of the work,” Jones said. (It would be) time to accomplish what we promised the voters.”