Evan Power tasks transition team with review of Florida GOP

Evan Power. Image via Twitter.

Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power has ordered a full financial review of the party’s finances and administrative practices.

He appointed a transition team less than two weeks after his election as state Chair in the wake of former Chair Christian Ziegler’s removal amid a sex scandal. Power tapped four former Executive Directors for the state party to conduct the review: Mike Grissom, David Johnson, Jennifer Locetta and George Riley.

“It is our goal to make the Republican Party or Florida the model of the nation,” Power said. “This team will allow us to evaluate what works and how to make our operations stronger. I look forward to presenting to the committee a blueprint for the party to move forward.”

The party is undergoing a leadership transition at the start of a Presidential Election year.

The transition team represents leaders from different periods of party success dating back to 2002.

Johnson served as Executive Director of the party during that cycle and worked on staff for Republicans in the 1990s when Republicans first won majorities in the Legislature and took over state government, a run that has now lasted for more than a quarter century. Johnson, a Tallahassee-based consultant, has worked with legislative leaders including House Speaker Paul Renner.

Grissom served as Executive Director for the party in 2012, during former Gov. Rick Scott’s administration. He also served as Vice President and interim CEO of Enterprise Florida, whose functions have since largely transitioned to Select Florida, during Scott’s time in the Governor’s mansion.

Riley, a prominent figure in the party dating back to 2008, was Executive Director from 2016 through 2019. He also served as the state party’s political director during the 2014 election cycle and has remained in a senior advisor role for the party since 2019. He has worked as state director for Conservatives For Clean Energy since 2020.

Locetta served as Executive Director for the party in 2019. She holds close ties to the Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, having worked as state director for Florida For Trump in the 2016 election cycle. He served during Trump’s first White House term as Special Assistant to the President and as Associate Director of Presidential Personnel.