Florida GOP Party Chairman Jim Greer submitted his resignation today, effective Feb. 20, after conservative grassroots activists, Marco Rubio supporters and party donors were calling for his ouster. Greer, who has headed the state party since 2007, is a personal and political ally of Gov. Charlie Crist. When Crist announced his candidacy of the U.S. Senate, Greer started catching heat from the more conservative, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio who has narrowed the gap in the race for the Republican nomination. The increasingly competitive primary has divided the party in the state and is being closely watched by national political observers as an indicator of whether moderates can recapture control of the GOP.
Press Releases:
ESCAMBIA GOP CHAIRMAN SUSAN MOORE ON
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA
Pensacola, FL — Commenting on today’s announcement that Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer will resign next month, Escambia County’s GOP Chairman Susan Moore issued the following statement:
“I wholeheartedly thank Chairman Greer for his service to the Republican Party of Florida and I wish Jim and his family the very best. I thank him for his tireless dedication and recognize that his resignation comes as a personal sacrifice to ensure unity and success for Republicans in upcoming elections.
Several excellent candidates are being considered to assume the position of State Chairman and I, along with the rest of the State Executive Committee, will carefully evaluate them in the weeks to come. But, as we focus on the consideration of a new Republican Party Chairman in Florida, we must not lose sight of our ultimate goals which are to build our party and win elections.”
FROM SEN. DON GAETZ
TO REPUBLICAN PARTY OFFICIALS IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA
I’m writing you today as a Republican appealing to the leaders of my party in Northwest Florida on a matter vital to the future of the cause we share.
For more than a year I have been convinced that our state party chairman, Jim Greer, should resign or be replaced. The lessons of history are compelling: when either Democrats or Republicans are arrogant, corrupt or spend recklessly the voters turn out the party in power and rightly so. As Republicans we should govern like we campaign. As a Republican Party, we should manage our own business like we would manage the public’s business.
The good news is that John Thrasher is a candidate to replace Jim Greer. I know, admire and trust John. He has an impressive history as a party leader and as a state leader. Among the many examples of his stellar public service is his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives, where he was Jeb Bush’s partner in building prosperity in our state’s economy. Recently John was overwhelmingly elected to the Florida Senate.
John Thrasher has rock-solid ethics, sky-high personal and professional standards and is a proven, effective, even-handed leader and manager. John Thrasher will make us all proud to be Republicans.
I do not have a vote in electing or replacing a state party chairman. Those decisions are properly placed in the hands of party leaders elected for that purpose by Republicans. I do hope that you will do all in your power to support the resignation of Jim Greer and his replacement by John Thrasher.
Thank you for your service to our party and for your thoughtful leadership in these times of great opportunity. We can win elections in 2010 and 2012, but we must earn victory by making the right decisions consistent with the highest principles.