Rick Perry Will Take Part in RPOF P5 Straw Poll

Submitted by Kevin Derby on September 9, 2011 - 1:13pm

On Friday, the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) announced that Gov. Rick Perry of Texas 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.

Comments are now closed.