Ever since the Republican Party of Florida had their chairman’s election in January 2015, where then-vice Chairman Blaise Ingoglia defeated Governor Rick Scott’s choice to replace the outgoing chairman Lenny Curry, there has been ongoing family feud of sorts going on between the state GOP and the governor.
In a nutshell, Rick Scott is bitter over the fact that he RPOF’s elected governing body voted in Ingoglia over his choice, interim Chairwoman Leslie Dougher.While the governor puts on the face of unity to the cameras, behind closed doors Scott is actively undermining the state GOP by continuing to tell donors and lobbyists not to support the RPOF, instead directing them to donate to his Let’s Get To Work committee.
One Tallahassee lobbyists who asked that we keep his name out of this political food fight, confirmed that he and a few other lobbyists were privy to one of those anti-RPOF conversations.
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Aside from telling donors to refrain from donating to the state party he hails over, to our knowledge, Scott has not attended any of the past year’s RPOF quarterly meetings, or have given keynote addresses at any of the county GOP Lincoln or Reagan Day dinners.
Wait, I believe he did give a keynote speech in Alachua county. I think.
So, what gives with Rick Scott?Chairman Ingoglia, who speaks highly of Scott and the job he has done for Floridians since taking office, appears to be persona non grata in the Governor’s mansion, even as both men will put on a smiley face whenever they publicly appear together.
So, what happened to outsider Rick Scott, who back in 2010 asked that the establishment faction of the Florida GOP and grassroots Republicans to unite behind him to defeat the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nominee?
Many of you will remember that back in 2010, the state GOP and the party’s establishment was backing then-Attorney General Bill McCollum for governor, but then came around to support Scott after the primary election was over.
This unity helped Scott narrowly defeat Democrat Alex Sink.
Knowing how important Florida is in the 2016 presidential election, why can’t Scott put aside his ego and rally behind the RPOF to help ensure victories throughout the state this coming November?