Lewis, 52, a trial lawyer and former assistant state attorney from Orlando, said he saw the switch as his best chance for winning a race in which he is among the lesser-known candidates.
``The extreme right isn't always right, and the far left leaves common sense left out,'' he said in a statement released by his campaign office in Fort Lauderdale.
He said that while he holds many conservative views, he opposes the death penalty and supports a woman's right to choose. He is also adamantly opposed to offshore oil drilling and long prison sentences for drug offenses.
``I won't run to the right to try to get the base of my party to support me,'' he said. ``A lot of folks came up to me at debates and said `we like you, but we can't vote for you in the primary because we're Democrats.' ''
In one of his better-known cases, Lewis, a trial lawyer with more than 30 years of experience, represented Lionel Tate, the 12-year-old found guilty of body-slamming his 6-year-old playmate to death in 1999. Prosecutors offered Tate a plea bargain that included three years of juvenile detention, but Lewis chose to take the case to trial, arguing that professional wrestling had influenced the boy. The case drew headlines nationwide.
As a candidate, Lewis touts his outsider credentials, noting he had never been elected to public office. However, he has run several times for various offices, including mayor of Fort Lauderdale and a Broward County commissioner.
Lewis faces an uphill political fight against a slate of candidates who have strong name recognition.
Among them are Democrats Dave Aronberg and Dan Gelber, both of whom are state lawmakers with extensive political experience. And three Republicans: former state Rep. Holly Benson, former Hillsborough County prosecutor Pam Bondi and Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp.
Gay adoption ban coming into play in race for attorney general
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