The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) announced Friday that Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who has rocketed to the top of national polls since entering the race less than a month ago, will take part in the Presidency 5 straw poll later in the month.
Our 3,500 delegates, on behalf of Floridas Republicans, will hear from the leading candidates and make their votes count on Saturday, said Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the RPOF, on Friday. You cant win the White House if you cant win Florida, and this event is the first real test for these national campaigns here in the Sunshine State.
Two other candidates -- former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania -- announced this week that they would take part in the straw poll. They join three other candidates: U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, businessman Herman Cain and former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah.
Two other candidates -- former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota -- will take part in a debate at Presidency 5 but have downplayed the straw poll. The three previous Presidency straw polls held by the RPOF were won by candidates who went on to win the Republican presidential nomination: Ronald Reagan in 1979, George H.W. Bush in 1987 and Bob Dole in 1995. The event will be held in Orlando from Sept. 22-24.
Florida is very important to me, and I am looking forward to bringing my pro-jobs conservative message to Florida and the Presidency 5 straw poll events, Perry said in a statement. I have also assembled a strong team of Florida Republican professionals to help carry my record and vision for job creation and fiscal conservatism to the voters of the Sunshine State.
Besides announcing that he would take part in the straw pol, Perry unveiled his Florida leadership team on Friday.
Nick Hansen, a veteran of Florida politics, will be Perrys state director. Hansen helped a large number of Republican candidates in recent years, especially around the Tampa Bay area. Besides leading Romneys efforts in Tampa Bay during the battle for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, Hansen worked on the campaigns of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, state Sen. Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg, Rep. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, and various candidates for local office in the region.
Perry named Bret Prater as his Florida political director. Prater, who was political director at the RPOF during the 2010 election cycle, had the same position for former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, who ended his presidential campaign after a third place finish in the Iowa Republican straw poll last month. Prater also helped on then-Gov. Jeb Bushs re-election bid in 2002 and George W. Bushs 2004 presidential campaign.
Anthony Bustamante will help Perry with grassroots efforts in the Sunshine State. Bustamante was field director for Marco Rubios successful for the U.S. Senate in 2010. Bustamante also worked with the RPOF on campaign efforts.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859
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