Eddie Speir escorted out of event after Vern Buchanan speech disruption

Eddie Speir. Photo by Jacob Ogles.

Police escorted congressional candidate Eddie Speir out of a Sarasota Republican rally after he disrupted the event.

The Bradenton Republican’s supporters shouted in protest as U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, who Speir is challenging in an Aug. 20 GOP Primary, took the stage to speak.

Some of them wore American revolutionary war outfits, including one who was walked out of the building by police.

Buchanan was among several speakers at the Republican Party of Sarasota’s candidate rally, which also included speeches from U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube and Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power.

Outside the event, Speir said he was not trespassed but also was not allowed to speak to the crowd like other local candidates from Congress to hospital board. He was asked to leave the building when he, too, shouted from the crowd during the event.

“We the people, we need to have our voice,” Speir told press outside Robarts Arena. “Somebody’s got to stand up and let people know that RINOs, while they’re pretending like they’re standing up for the rights, that’s not the case.”

Buchanan, a Longboat Key Republican, has served the Sarasota-Bradenton area in Congress for 18 years. For most of that time he represented parts of Sarasota and Manatee counties, but notably, Florida’s 16th Congressional District no longer covers Sarasota County after the most recent redistricting round.

But Buchanan has remained a supporter of the Republican Party of Sarasota, which organized the rally. Party leaders invited him to speak at the Saturday rally. Buchanan largely ignored the disruption and instead spoke about the importance of Republican unity in the November election. He focused on the presidential contest while largely ignoring his Primary challenger.

“Everybody always says, well, this is the most important election. This is the year I say that because if Kamala Harris is elected, she’s the most liberal member of the Senate and everything else, further left than Bernie Sanders.”

Jack Brill, chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota, initially asked Speir to sit down when he started shouting, and said there need not be any problems. But when Speir remained standing, Brill pointed to security to lead him out.

“In my speech in the beginning of the event, I was very, very specific,” Brill told Florida Politics. “We are going to have a very civil event. If there’s any booing or heckling at all, you will be immediately removed.”

Hecklers have disrupted the Sarasota rally in past years.

He said Buchanan was invited to speak at the event based on his long support of the local party, but no other Manatee County candidates were allowed to speak. Nobody was allowed to wear shirts promoting any candidates who were not participating in the event.