TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum officially announced he will attempt to replace Charlie Crist as the state's governor in 2010.

McCollum, a Republican who succeeded party-mate Crist as attorney general in 2007, made the announcement in his hometown Orlando Monday, according to a report by The Associated Press. Crist decided last week to run for U.S. Senate instead of re-election.

If McCollum earns the GOP nod, he would most likely face Democrat Alex Sink in the general election. Sink is currently the state's chief financial officer.

"The hallmark of a McCollum administration will be access and inclusion," McCollum said in the report.

"Florida needs a new way up for better jobs, for better education, a better environment, for a better climate in which we can grow jobs, grow our economy, encourage businesses to come to our state and grow the ones that are here."

A recent poll conducted by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute showed 48 percent of those polled approved of the job McCollum is doing as attorney general, with only 18 percent disapproving.

By contrast, Sink had a 33 percent approval rating and 22 disapproval.

From Legal Newsline: Reach John O'Brien by e-mail at john@legalnewsline.com.