Florida's GOP delegation open convention agenda with somber reflection

MILWAUKEE — Forty-eight hours after an assailant's gunshot nearly irrevocably upended their plans for the week, let alone November's election, Florida's GOP delegation opened their convention agenda with somber reflection, an upbeat call for unity and trademark tenacity.

During a breakfast Monday, U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Gainesville, noted how former President Donald Trump reacted after shots had been fired at him and the crowd. She spoke after an invocation that made a moving reference to the injured at the Pennsylvania rally, and the one fatality.

Wounded above the ear and bloodied, Cammack recalled seeing Trump return to his feet, push off U.S. Secret Service agents, raise his fist and shout "Fight! Fight! Fight!" as the rallygoers in Pennsylvania chanted "USA!" Her voice then quivered with emotion noting that firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed while shielding his wife and daughter from the incoming bullets fired by the shooter.

"The last 48 hours have been really tough," Cammack said. "But we also saw the greatness of America. We saw what Americans are made of at that rally."

By noon Monday, the members of the Florida delegation were ready to get to work. The convention, Cammack and Florida Republican Party chair Evan Power both stated, now has even greater importance.

"The weight of the world is on our shoulders," she said. "We were made for a moment like this. We have to unify for November, but also for going forward."

Power said he thinking about Saturday's violence saddens him and now Florida Republicans are even more committed.

"I think what you are seeing is our party has become unified and even more determined to win in November because of the events of Saturday," he said.

Power said the convention, and Florida's participation, will not change.

"The events themselves will go on as we planned," he said. "We feel safe and secure in what we are doing."

With convention kicked off, Florida delegation enjoys A-list status

This is Peter Feaman 's fifth time as a delegate to a Republican National Convention, but this year he and the Florida delegation are A-listers.

For example, the state's delegation is housed at a primo location, the downtown Hyatt near the convention hall. And inside the convention facility, they will have center-stage seating. They made their presence known immediately right after the convention convene chanting "Fight! Fight! Fight!" while thrusting fists into the air.

"That's a huge advantage for Florida," Feaman said. "All the other states are jealous of us because we have the best seating and we have the best hotel."

The "advantage" is not just because the Sunshine State is home to the presumptive presidential nominee, Trump, and to Make America Great Again political celebrities, like Congressman Matt Gaetz of Pensacola. And notable figures like Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The perks are recognition that Florida is seen as a national conservative standard-bearer, Feaman and others say.

"Florida, I think now, is the most respected state within the RNC of all," said Feaman, who serves on the Republican National Committee's governing board. "It's a blessing now to be a national committeeman from the state of Florida. It's very special."

Florida GOP enters RNC in strongest position in 'modern times'

It wasn't always that way. There was the year, for example, when the state was persona non grata and harshly punished for defiantly moving up the date of its presidential preference primary and leap-frogging other states against the RNC's wishes. There were also years where Florida was, first, a blue Southern state and then perceived as an unreliable swing state whose valuable electoral votes were up for grabs.

Times have changed indeed. The state's leadership is crimson red. Both U.S. senators are Republicans, and one of them, Marco Rubio, was on Trump's running mate short list. DeSantis won re-election with a 20-point margin two years ago, and the state Legislature is supermajority Republican. The GOP has ownership of all four elected Cabinet positions.

Republicans have a growing, stunning lead in rank-and-file voters. Power is eyeing, potentially, an advantage of 1 million Republican voters this November. On Monday, he said the gap is roughly 967,000 in the GOP's favor.

Longtime Florida politics watcher Susan MacManus said she has not seen the GOP this strong in "modern history."

"It was strong at one point but not like this, when they control everything," said MacManus, who taught at the University of South Florida and has co-authored books on state politics. "For example, they've never been in a convention where the (voter) registration gap just keeps getting bigger and wider."

Florida delegation, and its members, will have a spotlight at RNC

MacManus, who is in Milwaukee, said she will be watching how the Florida delegation throws its weight around. Beyond Trump's acceptance speech and who the vice presidential nominee is, she will follow U.S. Sen. Rick Scott's doings, given that he could be in a tight race and aspires to be the Senate Majority leader.

She said she will keep an eye on which Florida delegates, party leaders and dignitaries are invited to and feted at other states' gatherings. Already, Feaman said he and other Floridians got invited to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's soiree.

"I would be surprised if we don't see some of the people in the Florida delegation end up speaking to other states' delegations, depending on what the subject matter is," she said, adding the topics would likely be state budget management, noting Florida's massive surplus, the handling of social issues, like LGBTQ+, and changes in voter-registration laws.

She wonders, too, which non-Florida GOP stars and other celebrities will show up at the delegation's events and breakfast sessions.

"What I am curious about are the people that wander in unannounced," she said. "There is always sort of somebody unannounced who is brought in and everyone is thrilled. So I am kind of looking to see who is invited in to surprise and rally up the delegates."

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Power said the state's delegation will be making the rounds all week, and maybe with some swagger. He said he often fields queries from other states seeking tips, advice or guidance.

Power said the answer is that GOP leaders "delivered on a conservative agenda," including education vouchers. The state also led with "bold ideas," such as re-opening its economy after the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown. There's also been a yearslong energetic voter registration campaign.

"Right now, if you look at what we're doing in Florida, everyone wants to understand what the success is due to," he said. "People want to know what the Florida way is, and if we have a little bit more Florida across the country, we can see a lot of red states becoming redder."

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post , part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com . Help support our journalism. Subscribe today .

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida's GOP delegation open convention agenda with somber reflection