Despite jumping in the primary seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in November in recent weeks, former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon garnered the support of a major conservative organization on Thursday -- while U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, the front-runner for the GOP nod, continues to build his organization.
On Thursday, Citizens United Political Victory Fund (CUPVF) announced that they were backing former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon for the Republican nomination. CUPVF is the PAC affiliated with conservative group Citizens United, a national nonprofit organization best known for taking its successful challenge to federal campaign finance laws to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Besides announcing they were backing Weldon, a doctor who represented the Space Coast for 14 years in Congress before retiring in 2008, CUPVF also put its money where its mouth is -- sending $10,000 to the former congressmans campaign.
Im honored to receive the endorsement of Citizens United, Weldon said in a statement on Thursday. Momentum is truly growing for this campaign because Floridians are beginning to see they now have an authentic conservative in this race. Groups like Citizens United know that while I was in Congress, we were able to balance the budget, reform the welfare program and still create a surplus. And my time as a doctor in the private sector has opened my eyes to where this country is headed because of Obamacare.
I agree with many Floridians who feel like this country is in free fall but I remain optimistic about our future because we were able to right the ship before and I know we can do it again, Weldon added.
David Bossie, the president of Citizens United, praised Weldon and issued harsh words for Mack.
Mack, whose father held the Senate seat for two terms, is the favorite to win the Republican nomination, leading in the polls and garnering endorsements from Republicans across the state and nation.
Dr. Dave Weldon is a Christian conservative who has been a champion of the conservative movement for decades. Conservatives in Florida deserve a candidate who can go toe to toe with Bill Nelson and defeat him in November -- now they finally have one in Dr. Dave Weldon, Bossie said.
When it came to Mack, Bossie took off the gloves. Connie Mack is a puppet of the establishment who does not have the high moral caliber that Dr. Weldon displays every day, Bossie insisted. I urge all conservative Republicans in Florida to support Dr. Dave Weldon in the upcoming primary because he will be a U.S. senator they can be proud of who will never let them down.
Mack also drew fire from another Republican opponent on Thursday as the team behind former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux continued to forward editorials from across the state attacking Mack for avoiding a debate with the other GOP hopefuls scheduled for Tallahassee in July.
While Macks campaign did not respond to Bossie on Thursday, they continued their efforts in building their organization in the Sunshine State as Mack unveiled his Broward County team.
Broward County is critically important to our success, and this team of talented individuals will help us achieve our goals, Mack said. I am proud of the group we have assembled, and look forward to working closely with them and the voters of Broward County as we work to turn out voters for victory in the primary.
Noted Fort Lauderdale cardiologist Dr. Zachariah P. Zachariah, a prominent GOP fundraiser who has helped the various campaigns of the Bush family, will help lead Macks team in Broward County. So will Dr. Jeffrey Feingold, a dentist from Fort Lauderdale, who is active on the board of Florida Atlantic University and is the state chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Mike McCalister, a businessman and retired Army officer who took more than 10 percent of the vote in the gubernatorial primary back in 2010, is also running for the Republican nomination.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
