Orange County's Lew Oliver Vying for RPOF Vice Chair; Vote Set Sept. 23

Lew Oliver, chairman of the Orange County Republican Executive Committee, has tossed his hat in the ring for vice chairman of the state party.

Lenny Curry, the current vice chair, is expected to ascend to the chairmanship in accordance with the wishes of late Chairman Dave Bitner.

If Curry's promotion is ratified by the state REC during the Presidency 5 summit on Friday, Sept., 23, his vice chair position will be up for grabs.

According to RPOF rules, the party's 38-member Executive Board will take nominations and vote to fill the post through the next annual meeting, which would be Jan. 15, 2012.

RPOF spokesman Brian Hughes said he has heard other names may be in the hopper for vice chair, but he declined to identify them.

Hughes said Curry's promotion is a "near certainty," given that Bitner expressed the desire for the Duval County party official to succeed him.

Curry, whose term as chairman would run until January 2013, was not immediately available for comment.

Oliver, the longest serving county chairman of either major party in the state, said his extensive service on RPOF committees would complement Curry.

"I expect Lenny Curry will be the next chairman. But he's been on the committee a relatively short period, I can supplement that," Oliver said.

Oliver added, "I know the role of vice chairman. I have no agenda or platform. I just want to serve."

Kathleen King, secretary of the state party, and Hernando County GOP Chairman Blaise Ingoglia have also expressed interest in the vice chairman job, and Oliver spoke highly of both.

"The voters can't lose," he said.

But Oliver stressed that the stakes for the party and the country are huge in the 2012 general election.

"I believe 2012 is our last chance. If we don't take back the White House, America will become France with baseball," Oliver said.