Jacob Ogles
Seven members of Florida’s congressional delegation have made their choice on who should lead the state GOP.
U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan, Kat Cammack, Byron Donalds, Anna Paulina Luna, Cory Mills, Greg Steube and Michael Waltz are all endorsing Christian Ziegler’s bid for Republican Party of Florida State Chair.
“Florida’s Congressional Delegation is the best in the nation,” Ziegler said in a statement.
“From Byron Donalds being nominated as a Conservative option for Speaker of the House to Anna Paulina Luna taking Big Tech to the woodshed, Cory Mills punishing publishers who push sexual content into our schools and Greg Steube relentlessly defending and promoting the Second Amendment, we have sent true fighters to Congress. I am proud to have the support of many of them and I hope to earn the opportunity to work for all of them as the next Chairman of the Florida GOP.”
Ziegler unrolled the endorsements over social media starting with Donalds on Wednesday. The Waltz support was announced early Thursday.
As Vice Chair of the Republican Party of Florida, Ziegler has worked with all of the members to varying degrees. For some, he has strong personal and professional connections. He worked on Buchanan’s first congressional campaign in 2006 and went on to be one of the Longboat Key Republican’s first staff hires on the Hill.
Ziegler, a Sarasota Republican, lives in Steube’s district and keeps in close contact with the Sarasota Congressman.
He and wife Bridget Ziegler, a Sarasota County School Board member, have also long been politically aligned with Donalds and his wife, former Collier County School Board member Erika Donalds.
Importantly, the list of U.S. Representatives backing Ziegler not only carry influence but will have a vote when the Republican Party of Florida holds its election for a new Chair this weekend.
Ziegler faces Leon County Republican Party Chair Evan Power. If Ziegler wins, he will be the second Sarasota Republican in a row to lead the state party, following outgoing State Chair Joe Gruters.
