LeMieux, a 40-year-old lawyer, served as Crist's chief of staff in his first year as governor, as chairman of his campaign for governor in 2006, and as deputy attorney general and chief of staff during the four years Crist was Florida's attorney general. The two men forged a political partnership in the late 1990s when LeMieux was chairman of the Broward County Republican Party and Crist was running for the U.S. Senate.
Crist could face criticism for appointing a political insider who has never held elective office, and a man who strongly encouraged Crist to negotiate a deal that expanded gambling on Seminole Indian reservations. As Washington insiders know, LeMieux was instrumental in Crist's decision to avoid appearing with President Bush on Election Eve 2006 in Pensacola, a decision that infuriated Bush's senior political adviser, Karl Rove.
Crist faced the delicate task of filling a seat he is running for himself after Martinez announced three weeks ago that he was stepping down. In choosing LeMieux, Crist signaled that personal loyalty and political instincts mattered more than any potential perception of cronyism.
What's more, the clean-cut, well-spoken, LeMieux could serve as an effective surrogate for Crist on the campaign trail. LeMieux was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale and served as chairman of the Broward Republican Party from 2000 to 2002.
The two men have been in lockstep since 2002, when Crist was elected Florida attorney general and made LeMieux his deputy. LeMieux went on to earn the nickname "the maestro'' for orchestrating Crist's successful gubernatorial campaign and served as his right-hand-man for one year. Even after he left the Capitol for the Gunster Yoakley & Stewart law firm, LeMieux remained one of Crist's most trusted confidantes.
