At least five local Republicans will face off on Monday night for the chance to be Broward’s Republican Party Of Florida (RPOF) State Committeeman. Broward Republican Party Chair Christine Butler has called for a special election following the resignation of current State Committeeman Ryan Anderson. He is leaving Broward County.
In an email to Broward Republican Executive Committee (BREC) members, Butler laid out the rules and procedures for Monday night’s vote at Deicke Auditorium in Plantation. “Nominations will be made from the floor by BREC Members in good standing. The person making the nomination for a Candidate will have a maximum of a one (1) minute nomination speech.” Butler wrote. “Nominating speeches shall come from the floor.”
According to Butler, five minutes will be allowed for each Candidate’s speech for the office of State Committeeman. So far, five BREC members have announced their candidacies.
Tea Party Fort Lauderdale co-founder Jack Gillies says he is, “A Conservative Christian who stands by the 2012 Republican Platform, the United States Constitution, and the Holy Scriptures.” As to why he is the best candidate, Gillies says, “a lifelong history of ideas, hard work, and most importantly, results.”
Gillies’ Tea Party Fort Lauderdale claims to be “America’s longest running weekly tea party.” His group has held flag waving events, screening of conservative movies like “Hating Breitbart,” and speeches by authors Pamela Geller and Ann Coulter.
Chad Lincoln, a longtime BREC member from Hallandale Beach, was first to announce his candidacy. In an email, Lincoln claims to have “statewide relationships” and knowledge of caucuses and meetings. But his biggest selling point appears to be his ability to pay for a hotel. Lincoln wrote, “I’m ready to serve and to commit to the requisite time and expense to attend five meetings in Orlando a year. These costs include hotel, meals and travel for two to three nights per meeting, and these costs are not insignificant.”
Perhaps Mr. Lincoln will give BREC members tips on how to use Priceline and Trivago to save money on these costly trips to O-town.
BREC executive director Rico Petrocelli announced his candidacy with well-planned campaign of letters, emails and robocalls. In addition to his own robocall, Petrocelli produced a robocall from former BREC chairman Richard DeNapoli.
A letter from DeNapoli to BREC members laid out the case for Petrocelli as State Committeeman. “[Rico] can serve as a resource to the Chair and the County Executive Board.” DeNapoli wrote. “[Rico] has the contacts locally and at the Republican Party of Florida to make sure Broward County will get the attention and appropriate funding it deserves to help get Republicans elected in Broward.”
Mike Rump, the presdient of the Republican Business Network (RBN), believes his volunteerism during the 2014 election sets him apart from the other candidates. He says he, “created, organized, and sucessfully promoted ‘REPUBLICAN ROUNDUPS’ [which] grew in attendance with each event and were a real rallying point for Republicans in 2014.” Rump wrote he regularly visits Tallahassee to lobby as the president-elect of the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FAPIA).
BREC member Tom Terwilliger recently lost a race for the Pompano Beach city commission. Late last year, Terrwillger ran as Levi Williams’ running mate for BREC vice chair. He claims his position as chairperson of BREC’s voter registration committee has allowed him to engage “over 700 young people from 18 to 28. His success rate is 80% of new voters are registered as Republican or other.”
We will update this story as other candidates join the race.
