Aug 18, 2010, Wednesday: The Miami Hereald

Sarah Palin backs Pam Bondi for Florida attorney general

Pam Bondi, who is running for Florida attorney general, was endorsed by former GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

TALLAHASSEE -- Sarah Palin endorsed former Hillsborough prosecutor Pam Bondi for attorney general Wednesday, and Bondi didn't even know it was coming.

Palin's surprise endorsement in the three-way Republican primary surfaced on Facebook, and Bondi rushed to spread the word ahead of Tuesday's primary.

Palin -- the former vice-presidential candidate and ex-Alaska governor who's expected to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 -- threw her support to other candidates, all women, in state and local contests in Alabama, Indiana, Missouri, and North Carolina.

Palin called Bondi and an attorney-general candidate in Iowa ``bold, sharp, selfless women who will respect our Constitution, defend their states, protect our rights and push back against any over-reach of the federal government.''

Palin said the timing of the endorsements was meant to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

``I'm so very proud to be endorsed by such a strong Christian woman who loves her family and her country and is a true role model,'' Bondi said.

Bondi said she met Palin a few months ago at a breakfast in Washington hosted by the Susan B. Anthony List, which supports female candidates who oppose abortion rights. Bondi said the two women discussed their experiences with Down Syndrome, which affects Palin's son and Bondi's 6-year-old niece.

Bondi, a first-time candidate and Tampa native, is facing Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and Holly Benson, a former state representative and head of two state agencies, The winner will face one of two Democratic state senators, Dave Aronberg or Miami Beach's Dan Gelber, in November.

In a tight race that has not attracted widespread attention, the GOP hopefuls have been seeking to outdo each other in endorsements. Kottkamp recently won the support of conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly, while Benson on Tuesday backed Bill McCollum for governor.