The dark cloud of drama that always appears to be hovering over the Republican Party of Florida has once again begun to rain down the controversy of Republicans.
First, it was former Chairman Jim Greer, who lead the state Republican Party with an iron fist and sketchy political maneuvering, now it’s State Senator Joe Gruters who is doing the rain dance in Tallahassee.
Sen. Gruters, who moonlights as the RPOF Chairman, recently moved the upcoming January 20-21 Chairman’s election to late February.
Why?
For as long as anyone can remember, every two years the chairman’s election is held in January after all of the county Republican Executive Committees have conducted their respective local chairman’s elections in December of the previous year.
Now, Gruters is moving back the election to February 17-18 for apparent selfish reasons.
Gruters is running to be the treasurer of the Republican National Committee (RNC), and recently endorsed embattled incumbent Chairwoman Ronna Daniels for reelection.
The RNC elections will be held in late January, and for Gruters to be eligible to run, he needs to be a sitting member of the Republican Party.
Gruters can't allow the RPOF's Chairman’s election to take place in January because he needs his position as chairman of Florida's state Republican power for leverage.
Is the RPOF Chairmanship a 2-year term or a 25-month term?
Is Gruters moving of the Republican goalposts Jim Greer-esque?
Gruters and his 50 Shades of Greer
While Gruters has endorsed Daniels, the frontrunner to replace Gruters, RPOF Chair of Chairs Evan Power, has just endorsed Harmeet K Dhillon.
RPOF Vice Chairman Christian Ziegler has also announced his candidacy to replace the retiring Gruters.
Former State Rep. Anthony Sabatini is also considering a run for the top Republican position, but his potential candidacy could be dead-on-arrival because of the racially-charge attacks he made during the 2022 Republican primary race against the wife of one of his opponents.
Now Congressman-elect Cory Mills Sabatini was crushed by 15 points.
The Floridian has learned that momentum for the state chairman’s race has swung to Power and that Gov. Ron DeSantis and his orbit of influence supports Power, not Ziegler, and especially not Sabatini.
Another point to make is that if the Gov. DeSantis wields at least 30 votes in the upcoming election. If DeSantis breaks for Power (we expect it) it would severely minimize Gruters on the national stage because he is tied to, and has endorsed Ziegler. Gruters can go into the RNC election touting widespread support, making everyone believe he has DeSantis's support. He doesn't.
Both Ziegler and Gruters are said to have been placed on the naughty list by Gov. DeSantis. DeSantis's lack of support for Gruters has been well documented since he first enter the Governor's Mansion in 2019.
Florida influencer John Cardillo has expressed is lack of support for Gruters, calling him a "weak" leader and "massive disappointment."
