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Hillsborough GOP Members Elect Officers

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By WILLIAM MARCH

wmarch@tampatrib.com

Published: December 4, 2008

TAMPA - A slate of candidates backed by outgoing Hillsborough County Republican Party Chairman David Storck won all the local party offices Tuesday, led by Deborah Cox Roush, who replaced Storck as chairman.

Besides Roush, the candidates were Art Wood, vice chairman; Robin Lankford, recording secretary; Janice Torgersen, corresponding secretary; and Paul Phillips, treasurer.

Storck sent an e-mail to local party members Monday supporting them. The slate represents continued control in the local party by east Hillsborough conservatives.

Only Wood faced a challenge. Eddie Adams of Temple Terrace and Angelette Aviles, a Hispanic GOP activist of Tampa, both filed last-minute bids against him.

Adams, who ran unsuccessfully against U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor in the Nov. 4 election, said he hoped to provide minority representation. Adams is black.

"The face of the party needs to include some minorities," he said, but through the years, he has seen "only a handful of blacks and Hispanics involved."

During the presidential race, Storck drew criticism for forwarding an e-mail to a list of political contacts that contained what some considered racist language in describing black voters for Barack Obama. Adams said that had nothing to do with his decision to run.

Roush, whose family company operates the Alfano Conference Center in Tampa, has been special events chairman for the local party.

Wood is a credit union executive from Plant City; Phillips is a local lawyer; Lankford was active in the McCain campaign; and Torgersen is the former party recording secretary.

The local party, formally named the Hillsborough County Republican Executive Committee, consists of about 400 Republicans representing voting precincts. They participate in running the state Republican Party.

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