Lenny Curry was unanimously elected chairman of the Republican Party of Florida on Friday, making him the fourth man to helm the organization in less than two years.
The 257-member Republican Executive Committee held a voice vote for Curry, who was the only candidate nominated for the chairmanship.
Curry, 41, takes over for the late David Bitner, who died earlier this month after a short battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. Bitner had already announced that he intended to resign and had endorsed Curry, his vice chairman, as his successor.
"I do not take this responsibility lightly," Curry said, "and I am focused like a laser to make sure that we have the leadership to stop Barack Obama's big-government agenda."
Curry, a business consultant, remains as chairman of the Duval County GOP. As state chairman, he's confronted by an array of challenges: the goal of retaking Florida's electoral votes from President Obama's re-election effort, a four-man primary to choose a challenger for Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, and defusing a looming showdown with the national party over the state's primary date.
Supporters said Curry was up to the task.
"He's the kind of person that will lead us in difficult times," Thrasher said.
After the meeting, Curry said he supported an effort to make sure the party holds its presidential primary as early as possible. Several Republican leaders have said Florida should go fifth -- after the traditional early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
Curry said the demographics of the state's Republicans closely mirror those of the nationwide party, and echoed Florida Republicans who have said the state will be one of the top prizes in 2012. If a state panel decides to go ahead with an early primary date that breaks party rules, Curry would be faced with trying to mitigate the penalties that might result.
The Republican National Committee has vowed to halve the number of convention delegates allowed for states who break the calendar rules.
Asked if he would rather ensure Florida gets an early voice or avoid losing the state's delegates, Curry simply said: "I think we need to go early."
