Four presidential candidates -- two from the Sunshine State and two dark horses -- are headed to Orlando to speak at the Republican Party of Florida’s (RPOF) Sunshine Summit in Orlando in November.
State Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, announced Tuesday that former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will be attending the event. Graham and Jindal have been in the back of the pack in most polls and have taken part in the two undercard debates while Bush and Rubio have been in the debate with the top tier candidates.
“I am excited to welcome Gov. Bush, Sen. Graham, Gov. Jindal, and Sen. Rubio to the list of candidates attending the Sunshine Summit,” Ingoglia said. “Their participation will help fire up Florida Republicans as we come together before 2016. The Sunshine Summit is a unique event where candidates will share their vision for the future of our nation with the more than 2,500 expected activists and grassroots leaders in one of the most influential primary and general election swing states. We look forward to announcing additional participating candidates as we draw closer to our event.”
While the event doesn’t have the high-profile straw poll of past RPOF presidency events, the stakes are high. Last week, the RPOF voted on a new rule ensuring GOP presidential hopefuls can appear on March's presidential primary ballot by appearing at the Sunshine State Summit, paying a fee or filing a petition and gathering signatures to make the ballot.
Three of the four candidates focused on the core ideas of their campaigns as they announced their attendance at the summit.
“I am excited to participate in the Republican Party of Florida's Sunshine Summit in my beloved home state,” Bush said before focusing on his record in Tallahassee. “As governor of Florida, I led our state’s economy into the 21st century by shrinking government, creating high-wage jobs and cutting taxes by $19 billion. Florida is a critical state in both the primary and general elections. With the support of families and voters across Florida, I am committed to reforming Washington with the same principles and values that reformed our state.”
As he has during his dark horse effort, Graham focused on his support of an active foreign policy in the Middle East.
“I look forward to meeting the many Floridians who will attend the Sunshine Summit and discussing my plan to destroy and degrade radical Islam, win the war on terror, and protect American families,” Graham said.
Jindal continued to try to win over conservatives who are frustrated with the federal government in his announcement.
“I’m honored to be heading to the Sunshine Summit in the battleground state of Florida,” Jindal said. “The American people are tired of Washington’s rhetoric and are ready for a leader that has a record of actually shrinking the size and cost of government."
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
