Alex Sink

Alex Sink
Born	Adelaide Sink (1948-06-05) June 5, 1948 Mount Airy, North Carolina, U.S.
Other names	Adelaide "Alex" Sink
Occupation(s)	Financier, politician
Known for	Florida Chief Financial Officer, 2010 Florida gubernatorial candidate

Adelaide "Alex" Sink (born June 5, 1948) is a former American financier and politician. Affiliated with the Democratic Party, she held the position of Florida's second chief financial officer and served as treasurer on the board of trustees for the Florida State Board of Administration. Sink was the Democratic contender in the 2010 Florida governor's race, narrowly losing to Republican Rick Scott by a margin of 1%. She also sought election in the 2014 special election for Florida's 13th congressional district but was defeated by Republican David Jolly.

Personal life

Born in Mount Airy, North Carolina, Sink is the daughter of Adelaide A. (née Bunker) and Kester A. Sink. Her maternal lineage includes Chang Bunker, one of the renowned conjoined "Siamese Twins." She earned a degree in mathematics from Wake Forest University and spent three years teaching in schools located in Sierra Leone and Liberia. In 1992, she joined Wake Forest's Board of Trustees and was honored with its Distinguished Alumni Award the following year. In 2000, Sink was inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame.

She was married to Bill McBride, a Florida lawyer and politician who was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2002. Together, they are distinguished as the only married couple in the United States who both ran unsuccessfully for governor. The couple has two children, Bert and Lexi.

Political career

Prior to her political tenure, Sink served as President of Florida Operations at NationsBank, now part of Bank of America. Former Governor Lawton Chiles appointed her to the Commission on Government Accountability to the People, and she also participated on Chiles' Commission on Education. Moreover, she held the role of vice-chair at Florida TaxWatch. Her community involvement includes work with the Florida Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, participation in the Beth El Farm Workers Ministry, and leadership as Chair of the Board for both the United Way chapters in Hillsborough County and Suncoast.

Florida Chief Financial Officer

In 2006, Sink secured the Democratic nomination for Florida's Chief Financial Officer and won against Republican candidate Tom Lee with 53.5% of votes cast. This victory made her the first Democrat elected to a state Cabinet position since 1998.

Florida Taj Mahal scandal

On August 30, 2010, following an audit that uncovered questionable and excessive expenditures related to a new courthouse project known as the "Taj Mahal", Sink called for additional scrutiny by both the Florida Supreme Court and the office of the Florida governor's inspector general. The audit suggested potential misappropriation involving up to $16 million possibly redirected from the state's Workers' Compensation Trust Fund. The funding included a $33.5 million bond tied to a transportation bill that passed during the closing hours of the 2007 legislative session.

2010 gubernatorial campaign

At the start of 2009, Sink initially decided to pursue a second term as Chief Financial Officer rather than entering the governor or Senate races. However, after Governor Charlie Crist announced his intention to run for the Senate, Sink declared her candidacy for governor on May 13, 2009.

On August 24, 2010, Sink secured the Democratic nomination and went on to compete in the general election against Republican health care executive Rick Scott and independent candidate Michael Edward Arth. In September 2010, independent Bud Chiles publicly endorsed Sink’s campaign.

A controversy arose during an October 25 debate when a member of Sink’s campaign team sent a text message containing debate tactics to her makeup artist’s phone, breaching debate regulations. Sink responded swiftly by dismissing the staffer responsible.

The election concluded with a tight margin; Sink conceded to Scott, who prevailed with 49% of the vote compared to her 48%.

2014 Congressional bid

Following the death of Republican Bill Young, who had served Florida's 13th District since 1971, on October 18, 2013, Sink announced her intention to run in the special election on October 30. She rapidly attracted backing from prominent Democratic figures nationwide. Jessica Ehrlich, Young’s 2012 challenger and the only other Democratic contender at that time, withdrew on November 6, effectively clearing the path for Sink’s nomination. In the March 11 election, Sink faced David Jolly, Young’s former general counsel.

Although a long-term resident of Thonotosassa in eastern Hillsborough County, Sink committed to relocating promptly to Pinellas County. While federal law only mandates that House members live within their state, it is customary for them to reside within their district. To establish residency, she signed a one-year lease near her Clearwater campaign office and planned to purchase a home subsequently.

The 13th District had been held by Republicans since William Cramer won it in 1954; Young took over in 1971. It was one of the earliest Republican strongholds in the South. Sink was considered a formidable candidate given that President Obama carried the district twice and she had previously won it during her 2010 gubernatorial race against Scott. The contest was competitive: Sink garnered 46.6% of votes while Jolly received 48.4%.

Health care

Sink supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3020), which became law on March 30, 2010.

Adoption

Sink promotes placing children in adoptive homes based on their best interests without regard to gender preferences. She highlighted the importance of judicial discretion in adoption cases when speaking to advocates for LGBTQ+ rights.

Ruth's List Florida

In 2008, Sink established Ruth's List Florida, named after Ruth Bryan Owen—the first woman elected from Florida to the U.S. House of Representatives. The organization aims to increase the number of women from Florida holding public office.

Career after politics

After two unsuccessful electoral bids, Sink has provided mentorship to technology startups in Tampa Bay. While she considers future political runs unlikely, she has not completely ruled them out.

In 2011, she co-founded the Florida Next Foundation, a non-partisan policy group. In 2017, she was elected Life Trustee at Wake Forest University. Since 2018, Sink has been serving on the Tampa Bay Wave Board of Directors and remains active as of 2023.

In recognition of her contributions, she was honored as Citizen of the Year in 2020 by the University of Florida's Bob Graham Center for Public Service. As of April 2023, Sink co-chairs the Florida Advisory Committee for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and holds board positions with The Dali Museum, Junior Achievement, United Way Suncoast, and Tampa Bay Wave.

References

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