New Florida Republican Chairman John Thrasher on Wednesday named Ronnie Whitaker executive director of the party.
Whitaker is a native Floridian who earned his GOP stripes in Washington, D.C. He’s worked recently with former House Speaker Allen Bense in heading up the party’s fund-raising efforts. Earlier, he was a staffer with the Republican State Leadership Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington.
Whitaker also has worked as a senior aide to U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, and former Rep. Dan Miller, R-Bradenton.
In his role as executive director, Whitaker succeeds Delmar Johnson, who left the state party this month shortly before it was reported that he had earned at least $408,000 in a dual role as administrator and top fund-raiser for the party. The Florida GOP said Whitaker will earn $100,000 a year.
With Thrasher serving as a state senator from St. Augustine, Bense is expected to play an enhanced role in campaign fund-raising.
Former Rep. Ray Sansom, in an 8-page farewell letter to his colleagues sent this week, said he was a victim of partisanship and criticized Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, for his role in leading the select committee investigating the former speaker.
Sansom, who resigned Sunday, maintained in the letter that he has done nothing wrong and said he is “optimistic” that he will ultimately be exonerated in criminal court. But he said during the process he lost all “faith and confidence” that he would receive a fair hearing by his House colleagues, noting that Galvano was a former political rival.
“Unfortunately, Rep. Galvano showed very little concern with my ability to receive a fair trial in criminal court; as such, he inexplicably denied each request for a continuance,” Sansom wrote.
Galvano said Monday that he felt the process had been conducted in a very fair manner and that the committee as a whole had worked hard to be fair to Sansom. Sansom also said that the complaint, filed by an Odessa resident, was “politically motivated.” In a deposition, the complainant revealed that Florida Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff had drafted the complaint. Jotkoff has said he is proud of his role in the case.
Newly appointed City Councilman Art Graham talked with The Jacksonville Observer about losing last Fall’s State Senate race and if his political future might include another run for the Jacksonville City Council sometime down the line…
Central Florida U.S. Rep. C.W. “Bill” Young said over the weekend that his 50th year in elected office would not be his last, if voters agree this fall to return him to Washington, D.C. for a 21st term in the U.S. House. Young, an 80 year old Republican, had widely been expected to retire after 20 terms at the end of this year, promoting state Sen. Charlie Justice, D-St. Petersburg, to give up his seat to run for the office. But Young said in a statement that his heart was still in Congress.
“As many of you know, I have being thinking long and hard about whether I should consider doing something different in the years ahead,” he said. “The truth is, I cannot think of anything else I would rather do. This is the best job anyone could ever have because I work for the best people anyone could ever ask for.”
Young said that his long-standing relationship with his constituents was too valuable to give up now.
“The people of the 10th Congressional District, however, know me and we are comfortable with each other,” he said. “Beverly and I believe this special relationship we have with you and the others I represent is just too special to give up so I am announcing this evening that I am seeking reelection this fall to serve as your congressman.”
It may not see the light of day, but a sweeping measure to outlaw most abortions has been filed in the State House.
Sponsored by Rep. Charles Van Zant, R-Palatka, HB 1097 proposes several changes including making an unlawful abortion a felony and allow physicians and hospitals to refuse to perform them.
The 53-page bill includes more than a dozen pages admonishing a host of entities including the U.S. Supreme Court for its Roe V. Wade decision. With no Senate companion, the measure faces an uphill battle but may become a soapbox for combatants if allowed to be aired in committee.
This is the first in a series of videos we’re planning to do for JaxPolitics.com and The Jacksonville Observer. We’ll be asking local elected officials, community leaders and political activists to define what they believe the “proper role” of government to be.
In our first such video, we talk to Jacksonville City Councilman Clay Yarborough…
As was widely expected, former City Councilman Art Graham has been appointed to the City Council seat he formerly held. Graham will serve as a fill-in on the Council while John Meserve’s suspension remains in effect.
Graham resigned from the seat last year to run for State Senate, but fell short in a heated contest that sent John Thrasher back to Tallahassee.
Brevard County’s REC voted to back Sharon Day for RPOF Chair, according to Space Coast Politics.
The vote on a more detailed resolution supporting Day failed short of hitting the 50% mark needed to pass. The party’s County Chairman has already committed to backing John Thrasher and says he will stick to his word.
The formal election will be held Saturday, February 20th.
State Senator John Thrasher has taken the first step towards running for Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Earlier this evening, Thrasher was elected as the State Committeeman from St. Johns County. That post now makes him eligible to seek the state party’s highest office.
Thrasher won a brutal special election primary last Fall to win the State Senate seat formerly held by Republican Jim King.
There are still unconfirmed reports of a disturbance during the meeting, in which the police may have had to remove one or more individuals from the room. We’ll post an update once we know more details…
