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• Mar 28, 2007 10:46 am US/Eastern
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  Presidential Primary Could Come Early In Florida

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Presidential Primary Could Come Early In Florida

TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) ― The state Republican Party chairman is going against the wishes of the Republican National Committee and asking local GOP leaders around the state to lobby the state Senate to move up Florida's presidential primary just past New Hampshire's.

In a letter being sent to Republican executive committees and grass roots leaders in every county, Chairman Jim Greer urges them to call senators of both parties and ask them to follow the House lead on the early primary despite the threat of losing delegates to the national convention.

"In the past, Republicans and Democrats who have sought their party's nomination have not been forced to answer some of the questions that are most important to Florida's voters," Greer wrote, adding that races were decided by states like Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan and Nevada before Florida voted.

"Other voters ultimately determined the victors, not Floridians, even though Florida's electorate is more diverse and better representative of the nation than many of these states," he wrote.

The House passed a bill (HB 537) 115-1 last week to set the primary date at seven days after New Hampshire's or Feb. 5, whichever is sooner. The Senate, however, hasn't decided what date they should put in a similar bill (SB 1010) that's stalled in a committee.

Both state parties favor an early primary.

"The Florida Democratic Party supports an earlier primary date, which will increase focus on Florida's diversity and unique issues during the nominating process," said party spokesman Mark Bubriski.

And both national parties are threatening to punish the state if lawmakers move up the primary before Feb. 5.

"I've had several conversations with the RNC and they've been as clear as a blue day that if we move up before Feb. 5, their position today is we will lose 50 percent of our delegates," Greer said in a phone interview.

But he said he had to look at the overall benefit in pushing for the early primary.

"I have a responsibility as the party chairman to look at all the issues and make a decision that benefits the state of Florida and the Republican Party and moving this up will do that," he said.

Earlier this week, long shot Republican presidential candidate Jim Gilmore also directly called for the Senate to follow the House lead.

"I would hope the Florida Senate would join the Florida House in this very considered effort to increase Florida's influence in selecting the nominees for President," the former Virginia governor said in a news release. "By moving up its primary, Florida will help level the playing field by allowing candidates to focus their time and resources on a larger state."

(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)