Dean Cannon: 'I’d do it again' on Florida's Early Primary

House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, has no regrets about Florida's early primary.

While a smaller field remains in the hunt for the GOP presidential nomination than when Florida's Republican voters went to the polls, Cannon told reporters Friday that he has no problems about legislators having moved the Sunshine States presidential primary from March to Jan. 31.

In the past, when we went later in the order, I think our influence was diminished, Cannon said.

We didnt belong late or lumped in with a large Super Tuesday group, for example. I think its better we went sooner and Id do it again if I had to do it over.

Legislators advanced the primary to give the state a bigger say in the selection of the Republican Partys presidential nominee. The move cost Florida half of its delegates to the Republican convention in Tampa.