Joe Gruters: Changing primary system would give Florida GOP unprecedented power

Joe Gruters is clearly confident of the GOP chances in Florida.

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Joe Gruters says his party will continue to fight a constitutional amendment that would change the state’s primary election framework.

However, if the initiative passes, Gruters believes it will give the Florida GOP unprecedented power.

“They say it’s trying to take parties away from the system and empower the people,” he said. “But it will do the exact opposite.”

“This would make the Republican Party of Florida the most powerful party in the country, even at a local level.”

Gruters, speaking to the Republican Women’s Club of Sarasota, talked at length about the proposal to shift to a top two primary system. If voters approve a constitutional amendment supporting such a move, all candidates for an office will face off in primaries before the top two advance to a general election.

At least that’s the theory. Gruters said the reality would be parties would simply hold primaries themselves rather than conducting elections through the state.

He noted the state Party already had the power to set the slate of Republican presidential candidates that appear on the March 17 ballot. In the end, President Donald Trump and three other candidates met requirements set by the Party, the same way the Florida Democratic Party approved a list of 16 candidates who will appear on the Democratic ballot the same day.

But Republican state leaders could just as easily cancel the primary altogether, as other states like Georgia have done.

The Republican Party, in the event of a two-party system, will simply have its own process for winnowing the field of GOP candidates down.

“We won’t let 10 candidates go up, and all of them lose,” he said.

Sarasota Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner noted the primary amendment, pushed by All Voters Vote, is one of three ballots to already qualify by petition for the 2020 ballot. Attorneys for the RPOF joined other parties in asking the Supreme Court of Florida to block the measure.

That’s because this type of power is more than political leaders in Florida want, Gruters said. He prefers leaving decisions on elected officials to voters instead of party leaders. And he said years of encouraging any all candidates to run for office backs that up.

But Gruters doesn’t feel confident that will happen, based on what party counsel has told him.

“Our attorneys tell me, after we spend $60,000 or $70,000, that we are probably going to lose,” Gruters said. “This will probably end up on the ballot.”