Saunders drops out of attorney general race

Marco Island City Attorney Burt Saunders

Burt Saunders has ended his bid to be Florida's next attorney general and will be finishing out the final two years on his term as a state senator.

Saunders, R-Naples said he was dropping out of the Republican primary this afternoon.

He will now focus his attention on getting current Attorney General Charlie Crist elected as the next governor in Florida, Saunders said.

By dropping out now, Saunders will remain a state senator representing Collier and Lee counties for the next two years. Had he gone through with his campaign, Saunders would have been required to resign.

Political experts gave Saunders little chance of winning the Republican primary. He was polling fourth in a four man race.

Republicans running in the primary included former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum and state Reps. Joe Negron and Everett Rice. The attorney general serves a four-year term.