With 2016 around the corner, the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) will be hosting the Sunshine Summit in Orlando from Nov. 12-Nov. 14 and the stakes will be high. The presidential hopefuls will take most of the spotlight but there’s another important race already taking shape as Rubio has said he will not run for a second Senate term. Florida Republicans Ron DeSantis, David Jolly, Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Todd Wilcox are already off and running and they will be at the Sunshine Summit trying to win support for their Senate bids.
Continuing over the next week, Sunshine State News will look at the presidential hopefuls who will be on stage at the Sunshine Summit and what is at stake as they take their messages to Republicans across Florida.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ted Cruz has the wind at his back as he readies for the Sunshine Summit next week.
The senator from Texas did well in last week’s debate and, rounding up conservatives of all stripes including tea party supporters, he has moved up in the national polls and surveys of key states. Cruz even broke double digits in a national Quinnipiac poll this week as his bid continues to generate momentum.
Much of the GOP leadership in Washington loathes Cruz and he’s been shrewd enough to parlay that into an advantage on the campaign trail. Most senators stumble badly when they run for president, putting Iowa farmers and New Hampshire suburbanites to sleep with talk of co-sponsoring bills and the legislative process. Cruz has stayed out of that trap, being able to take advantage of conservative discontent with Washington even while he still sits in the Senate.
Cruz is playing a long game and he often seems more concerned with southern states voting before Florida in the “SEC primary” in March instead of the traditional early states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Florida can play an important role in that strategy, especially if Jeb Bush continues to fade and if Marco Rubio’s recent momentum slows down. Cruz has often been something of a peacemaker in the debates, going after the media and the Democrats while generally offering kind words for his fellow Republican candidates, including Donald Trump.
At the Sunshine Summit, Cruz can continue reaching out to Republicans and place his bets in Florida in case things go his way. The second of the twelve presidential candidates scheduled to speak at the event, Cruz will take the stage early in the afternoon on Friday, Nov. 13. That’s not a bad spot to be in and will give Cruz a chance to make an impression before most of the marathon of speakers can make their cases.
Cruz has a major opportunity at the Sunshine Summit. He can boost his standing in Florida, even as other states remain his primary targets. Cruz is popular with Republicans outside the Beltway and he has a chance to reinforce that in Orlando next week.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
