State Sen. Paul Dockery said she doesn't "want people to think that rail is the only issue that I have." But she also admitted to a Pinellas County Republican Party crowd of 200 on Monday night that she needs to introduce herself to voters who don't know her.

The county GOP's straw poll gave Republican rival Bill McCollum a 123-28 win in a straw poll on the governor's race almost a month ago. Here's a take-away from the Lakeland Republican's visit in Pinellas, which concluded with a partial standing ovation:

-- Top applause line: "The state party should not be choosing your nominee for you," she said, digging at McCollum's establishment support and the dissatisfaction with GOP leadership under Jim Greer. She repeated calls to release party credit card and spending records. But she also spotlighted her 1990s work trying to build the party, including helping the Republicans takeover the Florida House.

-- Her proudest moment in politics: Being named public servant of the year by Governing magazine in 2005 for fighting to develop better water sources. But she recounted the fight with a not-so-subtle dig at Gov. Charlie Crist and her encounter with him. She wanted to fend off funding cuts. At the end, she asked what he was going to do.

"He looked at me and said, 'Water is important,' " Dockery said. "Well, water is important. And he did not veto the cut. And now that water pie is down to zero. Every last bit of it has been cut. Those are the types of mistakes that we should not be making in the Florida Legislature, with a Republican governor, Republican House and Republican Senate."