Past and potentially future presidential candidates are gearing up to head to the Sunshine State to help Florida Republicans -- and perhaps their own prospects for 2012.
On Monday, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the 2008 presidential candidate who has moved to Florida and become active backing Republicans across the Sunshine State, endorsed three more Florida Republicans in the 2010 elections. With these endorsements, Huckabee has now endorsed seven Republicans in Florida.
Through Huck PAC, a political action committee he formed, Huckabee backed former state Rep. Dennis Ross, the Republican frontrunner to replace U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, who is vacating his seat in Congress to run for commissioner of agriculture and consumer services. The former presidential candidate also endorsed Karen Diebel who is locked in a tight Republican primary battle to take on U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas.
“Gov. Huckabee recognizes that the Republican Party must practice the principles we all hold dear,” said Ross on receiving the endorsement. Taking a shot at conservative Polk County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson, who is running as the Tea Party candidate, Ross added, “He is committed to not dividing the conservative vote and making 2010 a true change year.”
Huckabee, who had already backed incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, for reelection, also endorsed Rep. Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee, for reelection in the 79th District.
“Mike is a true leader – fighting Florida’s problems and remaining true to his conservative family values,” wrote Huckabee. “Mike Horner understands the limited role government should play in our lives and our economy. I enthusiastically endorse him for re-election.”
Huckabee was an early backer of former House Speaker Marco Rubio’s campaign for the U.S. Senate. Rubio has also been backed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Romney, who ran in 2008 for the Republican presidential nomination and is considered to be a leading candidate again in 2012, has been active backing Republicans through the Free and Strong America PAC.
Rubio also picked up the endorsement of America’s Foundation, a PAC led by former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania, who is considering running for the presidency in 2012. Based on her comments at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin backs Rubio, too, but she has yet to make an official endorsement.
Staffers for Newt Gingrich, who is pondering his own run at the White House, said that the former speaker of the U.S. House endorsed Rubio and had a fund-raiser for Attorney General Bill McCollum’s gubernatorial campaign, though Gingrich has not officially given McCollum his stamp of approval.
But not all potential Republican presidential candidates have backed candidates in Florida. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is rumored to be thinking about a presidential campaign in 2012, has formed Freedom First PAC to support Republicans across the nation. But the group has not endorsed any candidates in Florida yet.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
