Sarasota Republican Party Chairman Joe Gruters is preparing to run for the Florida Legislature in 2016.
If state Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, runs for the Florida Senate, Gruters told the Sarasota Republican Executive Committee on Thursday he will run for Steube’s District 73 House seat.
That district includes includes all of Sarasota County east of I-75 and north of Clark Road, plus all of Manatee County east of the interstate.
“I’m definitely leaning toward running,” Gruters said in an interview confirming his interest.
Gruters, an accountant, is starting his seventh year as Sarasota Republican Party chairman and is vice chairman of the state Republican Party.
But it all hinges on what state Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, decides. Detert is considering running for the Sarasota County Commission in 2016, which would open her seat to several potential Republicans who want to jump to the Senate. That list includes former Rep. Doug Holder, Steube and Rep. Ray Pilon. All three have said they will run if Detert leaves before her term ends in 2018.
Gruters said he would not run against Steube for the seat and only would campaign for it if Steube seeks the Senate seat instead of re-election. If he runs, Gruters said he intends to remain party chairman. He said there are plenty of party leaders who have run for office. He pointed to state Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, who is currently chairman of the Hernando County Republican Party and the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.
Gruters has long sought to be in the Florida Legislature. In 1998 at the age of 21, Gruters unsuccessfully tried to defeat then incumbent Rep. Shirley Brown, a Democrat, for re-election. He ran again for the seat in 2000 but finished third in a Republican primary.
A Republican who could be in the mix to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio if he runs for president in 2016 is coming to Sarasota next week to speak to local Republicans.
Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera is scheduled to speak to the Nokomis, Osprey, and Venice Area Republican Club (NOVA) on April 21.
Lopez-Cantera has not commented on running for the U.S. Senate, but his allies have said they expect him to consider a bid if Rubio runs for president.
Before being appointed lieutenant governor last year, the Miami Republican served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2004 to 2012.
On Monday, Rubio is expected to announce that he is running for president instead of seeking re-election. That has Republicans and Democrats lining up to run for the U.S. Senate. Already, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter, has announced he will run to replace Rubio.
On the Republican side, besides Lopez-Cantera, former Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, Florida’s elected Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, and U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan, Ron DeSantis and Tom Rooney have all said they would consider running.
Lopez-Cantera speaks to the NOVA Club starting at 6:15 p.m. at the Nokomis Community Center, 234 Nippino Trail, Nokomis.
During a stop in Sarasota last week, Florida Gov. Rick Scott reiterated his new pledge not to accept an expansion of Medicaid because of how the federal government is phasing out another program aimed at paying for health care for low-income families.
Scott repeated his frustration with the federal government for not continuing the Low-Income Pool, or LIP, that pays hospitals and health providers for unreimbursed care in Florida. The state expected to receive at least $1.3 billion for that program, but the federal plan contemplated rollback as part of health care reform.
The Florida Senate has proposed accepting federal funding to expand Medicaid to cover 800,000 Floridians and provide money to cover the loss of the LIP funds.
But Scott said the pull back of the LIP funds only makes him less trusting of taking the Medicaid expansion dollars.
“The same federal government that offers some money for a program is walking away from another health care program,” Scott said during a stop in Sarasota. “How can you feel comfortable picking up another federal program when they are walking away from an existing program?”
The position is change from two years ago, when Scott urged the Legislature to accept an expanded Medicaid program to cover the uninsured.
“Why should we be taking over federal programs,” Scott added. “Which one are we going to take over next? Social Security? Medicare? We can’t afford it.”
Monday: The Sarasota Council of Neighborhood Associations holds a candidate forum regarding the two City Commission races on the May 12 ballot. The forum starts at 7 p.m., Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota.
Thursday: U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, speaks to the Sarasota Republican Club starting at 6 p.m. Marina Jack Restaurant, 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota. Cost is $30. To attend call 1-888-325-3212.
Friday: Former Orlando Police chief Val Demings will be the keynote speaker at the Manatee County Democratic Party’s Annual Recognition Dinner starting at 6 p.m. at the Fete Ballroom of The Polo Grill in Lakewood Ranch. Tickets are $85 per person. For more information call 941-704-5971 or email lucy@lwrdems.com.
