Florida GOP Feuds Could Derail Nov Hopes

Republicans in Florida are licking their wounds today after a vicious primary season. But can the party come together before the November midterms?

Republicans in Florida are licking their wounds today as the dust settles after a vicious primary season. Their chances in November substantially depend on whether rank-and-file members can make amends after particularly bruising senate and gubernatorial primaries.

With nearly all precincts reporting, businessman and lawyer Rick Scott beat Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum 46.4% to 43.4%. Scott, the former head of Columbia/HCA, won despite questions about his conduct during his healthcare firm’s Medicaid and Medicare fraud scandal.

At the end of the day, the formerly unknown Scott’s victory could be boiled down to the Benjamins. “Rick Scott spent $60 million in the primary,” Kristy Campbell, McCollum’s spokesperson told the Miami Herald. “That is an unbelievable amount in Florida. . . . People were saying they would get four mail pieces a day from Rick Scott and robocalls. Money can apparently buy you love in Florida.”

Campbell’s comments reveal the amount of bitterness and animosity that remains between those who supported McCollum and those who supported Scott. McCollum conceded defeat last evening, but declined to endorse Rick Scott for the general election.

Marco Rubio won the Florida GOP senatorial nomination easily as well last night, a feat all but assured after incumbent Charlie Crist dropped out of the primary to run as an independent. Republicans who supported Crist for years are still shaking their heads about the defection.

And Republicans are still trying to rebuild faith in their state-level organization after Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer was accused of scamming the party out of funds. Just a month and a half ago, Greer was arrested on six counts of organized scheme to defraud, four counts of felony grand theft and one count of money laundering.

Much depends on Greer’s replacement, state Sen. John Thrasher, who won his own primary on Tuesday night. Well respected among Florida Republicans and developing a reputation as a responsible steward of party finances, Thrasher has done a good job cleaning up his party’s image. Now he has to drive the process of post-primary reconciliation.

Looking forward, rank-and-file members need to come together, renew their sense of common purpose, and help elect as many Republicans as possible this November. This means getting over the acrimony of the primary season and going door-knocking, setting up lawn-signs, and making calls on behalf of the nominee.

This is no doubt a tough task. But if Republicans want to make a difference this November, it’s going to have to start at ground level.

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