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Fla. Republicans Re-Elect Greer As Chairman

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The Associated Press

Published: January 10, 2009

Updated: 01/10/2009 03:57 pm

ORLANDO - Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer was overwhelmingly re-elected today as party activists ignored accusations of lavish spending and the fact that Democratic President-elect Barack Obama carried Florida.

Greer was credited with keeping Republican losses at a minimum during a tough election year, in which Obama defeated John McCain and two Florida Republican congressmen lost their seats.

"The national environment, dear friends, in 2008 was the most difficult one imaginable, and yet Jim Greer did an extraordinary job," said U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, adding that Greer's efforts helped him and his brother, U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, win re-election against well-financed opponents. "Jim Greer was fundamental in those victories."

Greer has been criticized for spending party money on private planes during the presidential campaign, as well as spending thousands of dollars to join Gov. Charlie Crist on a trade mission to Europe. But his support among activists was clear - he received more than 75 percent of the vote in his re-election. Stuart businessman Eric Miller challenged him.

After the vote, Greer said he wants to continue his efforts to reach out to minorities, and said he would hold a conference for young Republicans this year. Another priority will be making better use of the Internet to raise money and get the party message to voters.

Obama did far better than McCain with younger voters and did a better job using text messaging, e-mail and the Internet during the campaign.

"We must be a party of new ideas, we must be a party that learns from our defeats as much as we learn from our victories, we must be a party that leads rather than reacts, and we must be a party that has solutions," Greer said.

Democrats also did a much better job of registering new voters. Greer said he will create a "registration action team" to immediately begin registering voters rather than waiting for the 2010 election.

Florida Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff said he hopes that Greer can "provide a dose of reality to Charlie Crist and other Republicans who are completely out-of-touch with Floridians suffering under the failed Republican economic polices."

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