Ex-Florida governor candidate McBride dies at 67

Miami, Jan 1 : Bill McBride, the Florida Democrat who defeated Janet Reno for the party's gubernatorial nomination in 2002 but lost to Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, has died at the age of 67.

His wife Alex Sink said that McBride suffered a fatal heart attack while visiting with family in Mount Airy, N.C. Sink was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2010, losing to now-Gov. Rick Scott. The couple lived outside of Tampa.

Sink said McBride, an attorney, had long suffered from heart problems.

McBride defeated Reno, who was U.S. attorney general under President Bill Clinton, in the Democratic primary to run against Bush. Before entering politics, he was managing partner at the prestigious Holland & Knight law firm.

Sink said McBride's true legacy was as a longtime civil rights champion.

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