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State Party Leaders Likely Here To Stay

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By WILLIAM MARCH

wmarch@tampatrib.com

Published: December 15, 2008

TAMPA - Despite some controversies over their tenure, both of Florida's state party chairmen, Democrat Karen Thurman and Republican Jim Greer, appear headed for re-election to their posts.

Both have opponents announced to run against them in their upcoming party elections. Miami party activist Brett Berlin has said he will challenge Thurman in the Democratic election Saturday, and Eric Miller of Martin County, who says he represents conservative Republicans, is running against Greer at the party's annual meeting Jan. 10.

But neither has gotten much traction in their campaigns, and major party leaders on both sides are backing the incumbents, including Gov. Charlie Crist, whose support won Greer the GOP post to begin with, and Sen. Bill Nelson, a longtime backer of Thurman.

On Wednesday, both received more support.

Greer got an endorsement from Carole Jean Jordan, the immediate past party chairman, who ran against him in 2006 despite Crist's support for Greer. She's considered a representative of the conservative side of the party, which hasn't been wholly friendly to Crist and Greer.

Also, the newly formed Suncoast Caucus of the Democratic Party endorsed Thurman. It represents Democratic parties in seven West Central Florida counties - Hillsborough, Hernando, Manatee, Pasco, Polk, Pinellas and Sarasota.

Some Democrats have contended the party failed at the state level in this year's election, because other than going for Barack Obama, Democrats had few big wins - they had net gains of only one state House seat and one congressional seat.

Thurman supporters note that her full tenure as chair, however, including the 2006 election, registered the party's first significant electoral gains in a decade.

In 2006 and ensuing special elections, the party gained two U.S. House seats and nine state House seats, and saw the election of Chief Finance Officer Alex Sink, the first new Democratic statewide officeholder in a decade.

In the GOP, some GOP activists have criticized Greer over party spending, accusing him of using party funds for personal luxury travel. Greer denies having done anything improper, and his backers say the criticism results from political differences.

Spokeswoman Erin VanSickle said the expenses being criticized were "legitimate party expenses, plain and simple, not personal expenses."

Critics also raised questions when the party had $1.4 million left over after the election, even though John McCain lost in Florida - suggesting the state party didn't try hard enough to win for McCain.

VanSickle said the party actually had more cash left over after the 2004 cycle and almost as much after 2006, and that it's logistically difficult for the party to spend itself dry while maintaining operations and payroll.

"We spent every dime we possibly could," she said.

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