Republicans Start Staffing Up in Florida for 2016

Republicans are staffing up in Florida as 2016 looms. 

On Thursday, the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) named Brian Barrett as state director while  Alex Garcia as his deputy and in charge of Hispanic initiatives. Ben Shankle will be data director.
 
“The RNC is building the largest, earliest and most data focused field program in GOP history,” insisted RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. “This new wave of staff will help us train our team, register voters, and meet one-on-one with activists, to build our infrastructure now in order to hand our eventual nominee a fully functional ground operation on day one.”
 
“The road to the White House goes through Florida, and our state party is fighting for every vote across the state with a commitment to the ground game unparalleled in the history of Florida politics,” said Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, the chairman of the RPOF. “That is why we are excited to welcome this new wave of staff that will play an essential role in preparing our grassroots army and building our data and digital operations that will deliver Florida to a strong Republican nominee.”
 
Barrett has worked in both Georgia and Virginia.  Garcia worked on Hispanic outreach in Florida for the Republicans before and worked for Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, and Rep. Michael Bileca, R-Miami. Shankle has been working with legislative races across the state.