Tom Lee, Randy Johnson and Alex Sink debate in Orlando in the state race to succeed Tom Gallagher.

The race to become Florida's next chief financial officer heated up Tuesday in Orlando as Republican candidates Tom Lee and Randy Johnson locked horns over every issue that came their way.

As the veteran GOP lawmakers fought each other, Democrat and political newcomer Alex Sink sought to establish her own campaign identity in the candidates' first appearance together. The former Florida president for Bank of America often found herself as the calm between two storms during the local forum sponsored by Orlando's Tiger Bay Club.

In the surprisingly combative event, Johnson, the state representative from Celebration, unleashed a series of attacks on Lee, the Senate president, who recently received a major boost to his candidacy from Gov. Jeb Bush's endorsement.

From homeowners insurance to campaign finance, Johnson accused Lee of being a "spokesman for government, more than a representative of the people." The insurance issue arose because the state's insurance commissioner reports to the chief financial officer.

Johnson said that Lee's insurance-reform bill, which passed this year's Legislature, favors big insurers while pouring $715 million in state money into Citizens Property Insurance Corp. "with no strings attached."

Citizens, the troubled, state-sponsored insurer of last resort, has struggled with huge deficits after the hurricanes of the past two years. The state is supposed to cover those deficits by adding a surcharge to all Floridians' homeowner premiums, but lawmakers balked when the proposed surcharge for the past two years exceeded 17 percent. After mulling a nearly $1 billion bailout of Citizens, the Legislature eventually allocated $715 million in state funds, reducing the surcharge homeowners will now have to pay.

Johnson noted that, five days after the bill passed, State Farm announced plans to raise its homeowner premiums by a statewide average of 72 percent. Other insurers are sure to follow, he said, because the bill does nothing to stand in their way.

"This was a bill written by insurance companies for insurance companies," he said. "It is unacceptable. It is an embarrassment."

Lee dismissed Johnson's comments as oversimplifying what can and cannot be done about Florida's homeowner-insurance crisis. He noted that Johnson did not speak up about the bill as it was making its way through the Legislature.

"Representative Johnson was not involved in discussing this bill, for whatever reasons," he said. "But it is my feeling that you can't just curse the darkness. You have to try to light a candle to help solve a problem. This bill takes some very positive measures. And eventually, we want to take the burden off the backs of consumers. But it is going to take time to do that."

Johnson's response: "Senator Lee is right -- I was not part of that secret handshake that took place in Tallahassee. But I tell you this: Our party is going to have some explaining to do about this bill and how it affects the citizens of this state."

As the Republicans sparred, Sink took a moderate tone, advocating a pragmatic approach in dealing with insurers, including Citizens. She said a "knee jerk" reaction would be to crack down on the companies, cap their rates or force them to sell homeowners coverage where they don't want to. New Jersey tried that, she said, and insurers fled the state.

But Sink did criticize lawmakers for waiting until the last minute of their recent session to work out the reform bill.

"We've known for years about the problems we're facing, so why did it take until midnight on the last day of the session to address this issue?" she said.

Sink, Johnson and Lee are vying to succeed Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, who is running for governor. A fourth candidate for CFO, Republican Milt Bauguess, was not at Tuesday's forum.

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By Richard Burnett | Sentinel Staff Writer

Richard Burnett can be reached at rburnett@orlandosentinel.comor 407-420-5256.

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