Florida’s decision to move its presidential primary up by more than a month is going to pay off for the candidates and the state, Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said Tuesday.

Haridopolos said the Sunshine State should also get as much promotion as the candidates crisscrossing Florida in advance of next week’s primary.

“I know it’s not in Tallahassee right now, but I understand around the state it's great weather. So this is like free advertising for our state,” he said. 

“If I’m shoveling snow in New York or freezing and I’m looking at these candidates in their shirt sleeves making their way around the state, I’m thinking maybe I should move to Florida or move my business to Florida, or at least vacation in Florida.”

He added that the Legislature has been shown to have made the correct choice, even at the expense of half the state’s delegates to the GOP national convention, which will be held in Tampa in August.

“It was a risk, don’t get me wrong, but we thought it was a good risk,” Haridopolos said. “Clearly, the eyes of the nation, if not the eyes of the world, are on this.”

He added that while he has endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the ongoing dogfight among the remaining GOP candidates is a good thing for them.

“In 2008, the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama made Barack Obama a better candidate. I think that’s why he won,” Haridopolos said. “They were made better by the process.”



Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.