JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- At a Miami Beach event that drew about 1,100 Democratic Party activists and supporters Saturday, a South Florida state senator dropped out the race for a U.S. Senate seat that will open next year and a Jacksonville congresswoman said she is considering running for the seat.

State Sen. Dan Gelber's departure from the race leaves U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami as the only announced Democratic candidate.

Gelber, a former federal prosecutor, said he would instead consider running for attorney general or one of the other two open Cabinet seats next year.

"I'm not in the business of clearing fields or saying who can run and who can't run, but I can tell you that campaigns are very expensive," Meek said after Gelber's announcement. "We have 11 media markets in the state of Florida, we have 19 million people to reach, and in this economy it's important that we spend as few dollars as possible in the primary to make sure in the general we're competitive."

But it is premature for Meek to claim the Democratic nomination without a primary opponent. At the same weekend event, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown of Jacksonville announced she is considering a run for Senate. She said she will make a decision in the next two weeks.

Brown was elected to the Third Congressional District in 1992 after serving 10 years in the Florida House. Her congressional district stretches from Jacksonville to Orlando and includes parts of nine counties.

Whoever wins the Democratic nomination for the seat being vacated by Sen. Mel Martinez will almost certainly face Gov. Charlie Crist, who will pursue the seat rather than seeking a second term as governor.

At Saturday's event, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, who is also the Virginia governor, noted the opportunity presented by the 2010 election with all five statewide seats on the ballot open: Senate, governor and three Cabinet positions.

"We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to change Florida," Thurman said. "Change starts here. Change starts now. Let's go change Florida."