The newly appointed chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Evan Power, officially endorsed former President Donald Trump in the Republican primary race on Wednesday, emphasizing the need for Republicans to unite.
Evan Power, who took over as chair following the removal of Christian Ziegler amid allegations of sexual assault, made his endorsement during the party’s annual meeting. Citing Trump’s significant victories in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, Power asserted that it is now imperative for the party to unite and throw its support behind Trump.
“The results of Iowa and New Hampshire make it clear that President Trump is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party,” he said.
“Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Marco Rubio, and Senator Rick Scott have all called for us to unite behind Donald Trump. To that end, the Republican Party of Florida will hold a formal vote to endorse President Trump at our annual meeting on February 10,” he said.
“It is time for Republicans to come together and put 100 percent of our focus on defeating Joe Biden and his failed administration in November,” he continued:
It’s time for our Party to follow the lead of @RonDeSantis, @marcorubio and @ScottforFlorida and unite behind the presumptive nominee @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/Pw7VPzQTSS
— Evan Power (@EvanPower) January 24, 2024
Chairman Dean Black will propose the motion for endorsement, stating in a released statement that “the primary is over, and the Florida GOP is united behind President Trump!”
He emphasized, “Floridians cannot afford four more years of Crooked Joe Biden’s doddering weakness and ineptitude. We must halt America’s decline. We need a strong president again who has consistently prioritized America First. That man is President Donald J. Trump!”
The endorsement from the Florida GOP chairman comes shortly after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew from the race, opting for Trump over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in his final remarks.
“While I’ve had disagreements with Donald Trump, such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent, Joe Biden. That is clear,” DeSantis said on Sunday. “I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee, and I will honor that pledge.”
“He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican Guard of yesteryear — a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents,” DeSantis added.
Under Ziegler’s leadership, the Florida GOP refrained from explicitly endorsing any candidate during the primary, stressing the importance of remaining neutral. However, this stance is now shifting, with Trump’s former rivals, such as South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and DeSantis, choosing to support him over Haley.
