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Republican Party of Florida

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Republican Party of Florida
ChairmanEvan Power
GovernorRon DeSantis
Senate PresidentKathleen Passidomo
Speaker of the HousePaul Renner
Senate Majority LeaderBen Albritton
Florida House Majority LeaderMichael J. Grant
Founded1867;157 years ago(1867)
Headquarters420 E. Jefferson Street
Tallahassee,FL 32301
Student wingFloridaCollege Republicans
Youth wingFloridaYoung Republicans
FloridaTeen Age Republicans
Women's wingFlorida Federation of Republican Women
Membership(2023)Decrease5,158,753[1]
Ideology
National affiliationRepublican Party
ColorsRed
Senate
28 / 40
House of Representatives
84 / 120
Statewide Executive Offices
6 / 6
U.S. Senate
2 / 2
(Florida seats)
U.S. House of Representatives
20 / 28
(Florida seats)
Website
www.florida.gop

TheRepublican Party of Florida(RPOF) is the affiliate of theRepublican Partyin theU.S. stateofFlorida.Florida was dominated by the Democratic Party for most of its history (like most southern states). The Republican Party has rapidly gained ground in recent decades. It is currently the state's dominant party, controlling 20 out of 28 of Florida'sU.S. Houseseats, bothU.S. Senateseats, thegovernorshipand all other statewide offices, and has supermajorities in both houses of thestate legislature.

History

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Harrison Reedorganized the Union Republican Club in Jacksonville and sent a delegation to theNational Union National Convention.[3]After theAmerican Civil Warblack Republicans mainly joined theUnion Leagueorganized by Daniel Richards andWilliam U. Saunders.Richards was able to have pro-black rights resolutions passed at conventions which Reed stated were "pandering to Negroes".[4]

Richards, Saunders, andLiberty Billingscampaigned for black support for the 1868 constitutional convention.Edward McPhersondiverted printing contracts away from Radical RepublicanJacksonville Florida Times,which later went bankrupt, to the moderateFlorida Union.Richards also accusedFreedmen's Bureauofficials of working against him. Richards and Saunders' wing controlled a majority of the delegates at the constitutional convention.[5][6]

They submitted their proposedconstitutiontoGeorge Meadeand held a nomination convention that selected a gubernatorial ticket of Billings and Saunders andJonathan Clarkson GibbsforFlorida's at-large congressional district.However, Reed's faction, claiming that the Radicals did not have a quorum, held another meeting and received support from Meade, who later approved their constitution. The Radical's constitution made most local and state offices elected while the moderate's constitution made those offices appointed and reduce representation of black counties in the state legislature. The Florida Radicals failed to gather support in Congress for their constitution, with evenBenjamin Butlersupporting the moderate's constitution.[6]The constitution was approved by voters in 1868.[7]

Several of Florida's governors and U.S. senators were Republican after the Civil War, during theReconstruction era.Afterwards, Florida's state politics were largely dominated by Democrats untilRichard Nixon'sSouthern Strategy,which took advantage of objections to the advances of theAmerican Civil Rights Movement.This resulted in a regional politicalrealignmentfor theSouthern United States.

In 1967,Claude R. Kirk, Jr.was the first Republican governor elected in the state since the 19th century Reconstruction era. And after Nixon's victory in 1968, the state only voted Democratic in presidential elections in 1976 (Jimmy Carter) 1996 (Bill Clinton), 2008 and 2012 (Barack Obama). The2000 presidential electionwas decided by a margin of 537 votes out of approximately 6 million cast, givingGeorge W. Bushthe presidency overAl Gore.

The Florida Senate was still dominated by Democrats until 1992, when a majority of Republicans was elected. The Florida House of Representatives turned Republican after the November 1996 election. Since then, the number of Democrats in both chambers have continued to drop.

The Florida Legislature became the first legislature in any of the states of the formerConfederacyto come under complete Republican control when the Republicans gained control of the House and Senate in the 1996 election. However, in the 2006 election the Democrats actually gained seats in the State House, the first instance of this occurring since the early 1980s.

Structure and composition

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In the2014 gubernatorial election,the Republican nominee wasGovernorRick Scott.He defeated the Democratic nominee, former governorCharlie Crist,who was once elected as a Republican.

The Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida is Evan Powers, elected by RPOF members in January 2024.

TheRepublican National Committee(RNC) is responsible for promoting Republican campaign activities, developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. SenatorMel Martinezof Florida is the party's former General Chairman.Michael Whatleyis the current Chairman of RNC. The chairman of the RNC is chosen by the President when the Republicans have the White House and otherwise by the Party's state committees. The RNC, under the direction of the party's presidential candidate, supervises theRepublican National Convention,raises funds, and coordinates campaign strategy. On the local level there are similar state committees in every state and most large cities, counties and legislative districts, but they have far less money and influence than the national body.

The Republican House and Senate caucuses have separatefund raisingand strategy committees. TheNational Republican Congressional Committee(NRCC) assists in House races, and theNational Republican Senatorial Committee(NRSC) in Senate races. They each raise over $100 million per election cycle, and play important roles in recruiting strong state candidates. TheRepublican Governors Association(RGA) is a discussion group that seldom funds state races.

Ideology

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The membership of the party is primarily made up offiscal conservatives,social conservatives,neoconservatives,and members of theChristian right.

Economic policies

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Republicans favorfree-marketpolicies supporting business and oppose increases to the minimum wage.

Republicans are generally opposed to asingle-payer healthcaresystem, such as that found in Canada or in most of Europe.[8]They also oppose theAffordable Care Actand the expansion of Medicaid under the Act.[9]

Republicans opposelabor unionsand have supportedright-to-worklegislation (with a right-to-work law currently in effect in Florida).

Social policies

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Most of the Republicans' national and state candidates opposeabortion,same-sex marriage,andtransgender rights,favorcapital punishment(which is still used in Florida), and supportgun ownership rights.

Republicans advocate forcharter schoolsandschool vouchers;many have denounced the performance of public schools.

Socially conservative Republicans support voluntary organized prayer in public schools and the inclusion of teachingcreationismorintelligent designalongsideevolution.

Controversy

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In April 2010, the party began investigating $1.3 million in questionable expenses incurred by a former party staffer, Melanie Phister. From 2006 to 2009, the party gave her an American Express credit card on which she charged the expenses for herself and her colleagues. The expenses included: $40,000 at aLondon, Englandhotel; $20,000 for plane tickets for indicted former Florida House SpeakerRay Sansom,his wife and children; $19,000 for the Water Club restaurant in New York; $15,000 for a one-month's stay at aMiami Beachhotel, and, $66,000 for chartered flights. The Republican Party of Florida has hired the accounting firm Alston + Bird LLP to investigate the party's finances, including the questionable credit card expenses.[10][11]

The party issued a September 2009 press release about Obama's planned TV presentation to schoolchildren: "Schoolchildren across the nation will be forced to watch the president justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other president." Politifact said, "There remains no evidence that Obama intends to discuss the controversial policy issues of health care, banking, the automotive industry, taxes or the national debt during his address to students."[12]

In an October 2008 mailing, the party alleged "Barack Obama has consistently voted against tougher penalties for criminals." Politifact found that the party had taken selective votes or positions to prop up sensational headlines that are belied by a fuller examination of Obama's record, and found the ad's claim false.[13]

In May 2008, the party claimed in an email that Cuban leaderFidel Castroendorsed Obama. Politifact found that to be false, and added it ".. es off less like a joke and more like an intentional smear."[14]

Symbols and name

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1874 Nast cartoon depicted GOP as an elephant demolishing the flimsy planks of the Democrats

The mascot symbol, historically, is theelephant.A political cartoon byThomas Nast,published inHarper's Weeklyon November 7, 1874, is considered the first important use of the symbol.[15]In the early 20th century, the usual symbol of the Republican Party in Midwestern states such asIndianaandOhiowas theeagle,as opposed to the Democratic rooster. This symbol still appears on Indiana ballots.

After the2000election, the color red became associated with the GOP although it has not been officially adopted by the party. On election night 2000, for the first time ever, all major broadcast networks utilized the same color scheme for the electoral map:red statesforGeorge W. Bush(Republican nominee) and blue states forAl Gore(Democratic nominee). Although the color red is unofficial and informal, it is widely recognized by the media and the public to represent the GOP. Partisan supporters now often use the color red for promotional materials and campaign merchandise.

Lincoln Day,Reagan Day,or Lincoln-Reagan Day, is the primary annual fundraising celebration held by many state and county organizations of the Republican Party. The events are named after Republican PresidentsAbraham LincolnandRonald Reagan.

Current elected officials

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As of 2023, the party controls both U.S. Senate seats, 20 out of the 28 seats Florida is apportioned in the U.S. House, all statewide offices, and both chambers of the Florida state legislature.

Member of Congress

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U.S. House of Representatives

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U.S. Representatives
FL-01:Matt Gaetz
FL-02:Neal Dunn
FL-03:Kat Cammack
FL-04:Aaron Bean
FL-05:John Rutherford
FL-06:Michael Waltz
FL-07:Cory Mills
FL-08:Bill Posey
FL-11:Daniel Webster
FL-12:Gus Bilirakis
FL-13:Anna Paulina Luna
FL-15:Laurel Lee
FL-16:Vern Buchanan
FL-17:Greg Steube
FL-18:Scott Franklin
FL-19:Byron Donalds
FL-21:Brian Mast
FL-26:Mario Díaz-Balart
FL-27:Maria Elvira Salazar
FL-28:Carlos Giménez

Statewide offices

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Governor Ron DeSantis

Former Florida governors and U.S. senators

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Governors

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Jeb Bush
Former governors of Florida
Harrison Reed
Ossian Hart
Marcellus Stearns
Claude Kirk
Bob Martinez
Jeb Bush
Charlie Crist(Elected as a Republican, left party during term)
Rick Scott

United States senators

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Connie Mack III
Mel Martinez
Former U.S. senators from Florida
George LeMieux
Mel Martinez
Connie Mack III
Paula Hawkins
Edward Gurney
Simon Conover
Abijah Gilbert
Thomas Osborn
Adonijah Welch

RPOF Chairs

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See also

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References

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  1. ^"Voter Registration—By Party Affiliation".Florida Department of State.Archivedfrom the original on September 17, 2021.RetrievedMarch 27,2023.
  2. ^Paul Gottfried,Conservatism in America: Making Sense of the American Right,p. 9, "Postwar conservatives set about creating their own synthesis of free-market capitalism, Christian morality, and the global struggle against Communism." (2009); Gottfried,Theologies and moral concern(1995) p. 12.
  3. ^Abbott 1986,p. 63.
  4. ^Abbott 1986,p. 130.
  5. ^Abbott 1986,p. 135.
  6. ^abAbbott 1986,p. 144-145.
  7. ^Abbott 1986,p. 160.
  8. ^Unsettling Scores: A Ranking of State Medicaid Programs, P. 15ArchivedApril 19, 2009, at theWayback Machine
  9. ^Kennedy, John."After shunning Medicaid expansion, Florida Republicans see the political power of tackling health care".The Florida Times-Union.Archivedfrom the original on January 21, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 15,2021.
  10. ^"Junior Florida Republican staff had $1.3 million charged to party credit card".St. Petersburg Times.April 10, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon June 6, 2011.RetrievedApril 10,2010.
  11. ^"Florida republican party staffer racks up $1.3 million on Amex card".Miami Herald.April 10, 2010.
  12. ^Holan, Angie Drobnic (September 2, 2009)."PolitiFact - Republican Party of Florida says Obama will" indoctrinate "schoolchildren with" socialist ideology "".PolitiFact.Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 9,2024.
  13. ^Farley, Robert (October 27, 2008)."Felony cherry-picking".PolitiFact.Archivedfrom the original on September 28, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 9,2024.
  14. ^Farley, Robert (June 5, 2008)."Castro not stumping for Obama".PolitiFact.Archivedfrom the original on August 30, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 9,2024.
  15. ^Cartoon of the Day: "The Third-Term Panic"ArchivedSeptember 21, 2011, at theWayback Machine.HarpWeek.Retrieved on February 21, 2007.

Works cited

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