GOP leader Joe Gruters is running for the Florida House in 2016 and is drawing the support of the some of the leading Republicans in the Sunshine State.
Gruters, the current vice chairman of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF), filed earlier this month to run for the House seat currently held by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, who is expected to run for the Florida Senate seat currently held by Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, who is expected to run for country office. On Friday, Gruters played up his Republican credentials in an email to supporters.
“For the last 20 years I have been working at the grassroots level as both a party activist and leader including having served as Congressman Buchanan's campaign manager, as president of the Young Republicans, as a volunteer on numerous campaigns, as vice chairman of the Republican Party of Florida and for the last seven years as the chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota County, a post which I held longer than any other chairman in Sarasota County's history,” Gruters wrote.
Showcasing his “strong conservative values," Gruters promised to fight for Republicans in Tallahassee.
“I will fight to support our conservative social values, control the budget, reduce taxes, stop Obamacare’s damage to our health care system, and oppose Common Core from being imposed by Washington on our schools,” Gruters insisted.
Gruters will be holding a fundraiser at the start of next week and he has some of the leading Republicans from the area backing him, including former Florida Senate President John McKay, former Florida Sen. Pat Neal, Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight, State Attorney Ed Brodsky, Public Defender Larry Eger, Sarasota County Property Appraiser Bill Furst, Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston and former state Reps. Doug Holder, Mike Grant and Jerry Paul.
No other candidates have filed for the seat besides Steube, who is expected to run for the Senate, and Gruters.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
