Joe Gruters to run Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in Florida

Sarasota County GOP Chairman Joe Gruters has been selected as the state chairman of Donald Trump‘s campaign in Florida.

Susan Wiles, managing partner of the Jacksonville office of the lobbying group Ballard Partners, will serve as co-chairwoman. Wiles is perhaps best known for managing Rick Scott‘s successful 2010 campaign for governor.

“My message is clearly resonating in Florida,” Trump said in a prepared statement. “We have tremendous support from so many great people in the state. I am proud to watch that support grow, to see our team expand and to be leading in the polls here. Florida is truly one of the most important states in the election and it has always been a home to me. I have also invested greatly in growth and development across the state and created thousands of jobs. I look forward to spending a lot of time here and to working to Make America Great Again!”

Gruters has chaired the Sarasota GOP since 2007. He’s also the vice chairman for the Republican Party of Florida. He says he’ll retain both positions. “I am not stepping down from anything,” Gruters told  FloridaPolitics.com. “I will perform my duties as is in my other capacities and will continue to assist all candidate in my positions but as an individual I will be fully supporting Mr. Trump.”

Gruters will travel with the GOP presidential front-runner Friday night when Trump campaigns in Miami, and Saturday in Jacksonville. It’s Trump’s first appearance as a presidential candidate in Florida since he appeared at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center in Sarasota in May. There, Gruters and the Sarasota Republican Party selected him its “Statesman of the Year,” an honor not universally supported by local Republicans. Trump was bestowed the same award by the Sarasota Republican Party in 2012.

Gruters has been applauded since taking over as chairman of the Sarasota GOP for his ability to recruit a number of high-profile Republicans for public appearances, easily surpassing the star power that similar party chairs in Pinellas and Hillsborough have been able to generate. In addition to Trump, Dr. Ben Carson and Rand Paul have made appearances in Sarasota this year.

There was no information in the statement about a campaign office, but Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told The Associated Press that the Trump campaign plans to open an office in Sarasota early next month.

Trump has been the front-runner for the March 15 presidential primary in Florida since early August, though Carson is gaining in the Sunshine State.

A University of North Florida poll of likely Republican primary voters out this week found Trump with the support of 22 percent, and Carson close on his heels at 19 percent. Florida native sons Marco Rubio was third with 15 percent, and Jeb Bush fourth with 10 percent.