by John Kennedy
The News Service of Florida
Former legislator Dave Bitner easily claimed a second-ballot victory Saturday to become Florida Republican Party chair, ending a five-candidate contest to lead the party commanding the state’s top political offices.
The Republican Party of Florida’s State Executive Committee also voted to elect Duval County GOP Chair Lenny Curry as vice chair, Manatee County Chair Kathy King was elected secretary, while Leon County Chair Jeff Howell was elected treasurer.
Additionally, Taylor County State Committeeman Daryll Gunter was re-elected assistant secretary and Hernando County chair Blaise Ingoglia was elected assistant treasurer. The officers will serve a two-year term.
With Gov. Rick Scott looking on, Bitner, the Jefferson County state committeeman, defeated Republican Party of Florida Vice Chair Deborah Cox-Roush of Hillsborough County in a runoff.
The pair emerged as leading vote-getters on a first-ballot featuring all five contenders.
“We are unified,” said Bitner, who called his four rivals to the stage at Walt Disney World’s Dolphin Hotel, after winning the runoff. “This is the group that will work for you. And we will deliver.”
Bitner, 62, who represented Charlotte County in the state House from 1992-2000, later becoming a lobbyist, was a late entry in the race to succeed outgoing chair Sen. John Thrasher (R-St. Augustine).
Thrasher completed the final year of Jim Greer’s term, after the former chair was ousted and later charged criminally for steering party funds to a company he
controlled.
Cox-Roush had been seen as an early favorite of longtime party activists, but Bitner gained strength in the weeks leading up to Saturday morning’s vote, particularly among the 30 appointees of House Speaker Dean Cannon (R-Winter Park), Senate President Mike Haridopolos (R-Merritt Island) and Scott.
A Scott appointee, health care adviser Alan Levine, said the 10 voters added to the Republican Executive Committee for the new governor had dinner together the night before. Levine said Bitner emerged as the favorite of the Scott group, although he stressed that the governor didn’t direct the decision-making.
“Bitner was the favorite,” said Levine. “He just seemed to impress the most people that he was the guy to direct the party going forward.”
The chair had to win a majority of the 228 REC members present. Ballots were cast privately, but Bitner grabbed support from 109 voters on the first vote, with Cox-Roush a distant second, with 58 members backing her.
Other contenders were well back: Sarasota County Chair Joe Gruters drew 37 votes, Palm Beach County Chair Sid Dinerstein, 16 votes, and Pinellas County State Committeeman Tony DiMatteo, 7 votes.
In the runoff, Bitner won 153-74 over Cox-Roush, according to party sources, although the final numbers were not made public.
For his part, Scott largely steered clear of the contest. On Saturday, he praised the five candidates and said party officials had the right to choose their next leader, although his own political fortunes could clearly be shaped by state party actions.
Among Bitner’s biggest tasks, for example, will be guiding the Florida GOP toward the 2012 Republican National Convention, possibly a major showcase for Scott and the state party, and scheduled to be held in Tampa.
“They want to run a party, and they want to make sure this party follows the principles they believe in,” Scott told reporters after Bitner’s election.
“They want the party itself to have transparency, they want the party itself to have accountability. I clearly believe in those things,” he said.
“Dave Bitner’s going to be a great chairman for the party. I’m excited about working with Dave. But again, we had great candidates. All of them believe in the principles of the party. They know the key to winning races in 2012 is grassroots,” said Scott.
Bitner is a former legislator following Thrasher, a current lawmaker, as party chair. While Thrasher was pushed by House and Senate leaders to replace Greer, the party’s rank-and-file activists historically bristle when elected officials exert their muscle in the party.