Curt Clawson Backers Urge Sarah Palin to Reconsider Support for Lizbeth Benacquisto

Former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska will be in Southwest Florida on Thursday for a fundraising event with Florida Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, who is running in the Republican primary to replace former U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., in Congress.

Excited to announce that Sarah Palin is coming to Southwest Florida this week to join me on the campaign trail, Benacquisto announced on Monday.

But tea party leaders in the district backing Curt Clawson in the primary are urging Palin to reconsider her endorsement. Jack Tymann of the Naples Tea Party, Kathy Jones of the Lee County Patriots, former congressional candidate Byron Donalds and other tea party activists wrote a letter to Palin on Wednesday. In the letter, the Clawson supporters insisted Benacquisto demonized capitalism and an American success story by attacking their candidate. They also accused Benacquisto of using Obama-style campaign tactics.

Even as Clawson backers tried to get Palin to reconsider her endorsement, Benacquisto released a letter on Wednesday which only served to strengthen her conservative credentials. Marion Hammer of the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) and the United Sportsmen of Florida gave Benacquisto an A+ rating on Second Amendment issues.

The candidates will meet in the April 22 primary.