Republican Party of Florida - Current Structure and Composition

Current Structure and Composition

In the 2006 election, the Republican nominee for Governor was Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist from St.Petersburg. He handily defeated the Democratic nominee U.S. Representative Jim Davis from Tampa.

The current Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida is Lenny Curry, following the death of former Chairman David Bitner. Before Curry and Bitner, former Chairman Jim Greer was removed from this position, his seat on the state executive board and from his post as Seminole County state committeeman after a number of controversies involving state party finances and personal spending behavior.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) is responsible for promoting Republican campaign activities. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. Senator Mel Martinez of Florida is the Republican Party's former General Chairman. Michael S. Steele is the current Chairman of RNC. The chairman of the RNC is chosen by the President when the Republicans have the White House or otherwise by the Party's state committees. The RNC, under the direction of the party's presidential candidate, supervises the Republican National Convention, raises funds, and coordinates campaign strategy. On the local level there are similar state committees in every state and most large cities, counties and legislative districts, but they have far less money and influence than the national body.

The Republican House and Senate caucuses have separate fund raising and strategy committees. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) assists in House races, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in Senate races. They each raise over $100 million per election cycle, and play important roles in recruiting strong state candidates. The Republican Governors Association (RGA) is a discussion group that seldom funds state races.