Gov.-elect Rick Scott of Florida and Gov. Rick Perry of Texas have a few things in common.
Besides a shared first name and Party affiliation, both of the newly elected governors shunned the mainstream media and their endorsements and went on to win the governor's seat anyway.
But the two Republican chiefs are also vastly different.
Where Scott is a political newcomer, Perry is set to break the record for the longest-serving chief executive in the history of Texas. He's entering his 10th year as governor after he easily won re-election earlier this month.
Now Perry is expected to get another distinction: two-time chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
Perry served as chairman in 2008 after Sonny Perdue of Georgia finished his term.
GOP sources leaked the information to Politico Friday that Perry is expected to take the job again when the association meets in San Diego next week.
Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi currently holds the position and is widely considered to have given it distinction. Barbour took over after former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford resigned from the post early. Many remember Sanford from scandalous headlines -- in particular, his affair with Mar Bel Chapur, an Argentine woman, and the fact that he used state funds to pay for his trips to see her in South America.
As current RGA chair, Barbour played a role in helping Gov.-elect Rick Scott get elected.
Barbour's term as chairman has been incredibly successful. He raised record amounts of money and stumped tirelessly for GOP candidates -- all while raising his national profile and launching what probably is a run at the presidency in 2012.
Said Iowa GOP strategist William Heller, "Haley is trying to do with his successful Republican chairmanship what Bill Clinton did with his successful Democratic chairmanship -- use it to propel him into the biggest arena of all, the White House. Play your cards right with the RGA or the DGA and you can go places."
The day after the August primaries, when Republicans had been divided by a bitter battle between Attorney General Bill McCollum and Scott for the nomination, Barbour issued a statement calling on Floridians to unite behind Scott.
As a former national party chairman, I know all too well that primaries are tough and can be costly, but they can also make us stronger," he said in a statement. "The voters of Florida took a close look at Rick Scott and believe he is the candidate who can best revive the states economy and put Florida back to work."
As chairman in 2011, Perry's main focus will be on raising money for the committee and helping direct the gubernatorial contests in Louisiana, Mississippi and Kentucky.
Lane Wright can be reached at lane@sunshinestatenews.com or at (561) 247-1063.
