Florida Whig Party

Florida Whig Party
Chairman	Paul Grant Truesdell
Founded	2007 (2007) (Party Revived)
Headquarters	200 N.W. 52nd Street, Ocala, FL 34482
Ideology	Syncretic politics Transpartisanship Fiscal conservatism States' rights
International affiliation	None
Colors	Blue and Red
Website
www.FloridaWhig.com

The Florida Whig Party is a registered political party in the state of Florida. In 2008, the party aligned itself with the Modern Whig Party, a national organization of about 30,000 members initially founded by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as a "comeback" of the historic Whig Party. However, the Florida Whig Party discontinued this association in late 2009. The Florida Whig Party is the first "Whig" state political party to officially run candidates for federal office in over a century. Paul C. McKain was the first announced Whig candidate for federal office, followed then by a joint announcement by John Annarumma and Clayton Schock. However, candidate Paul C. McKain, later opted to run as an independent (No Party Affiliation), citing conversations with the voters of Florida's 2nd congressional district requesting him to do so.

The most recent membership count in late 2008 stated that the Florida Whig Party had 55 members statewide. Although the party is based in Marion County, voter registration records as of November 20, 2009 indicated that the party had only six registered members within the county. This number mostly included members of the party board.

Activity

In late 2009 and early 2010, the Florida Whig Party was lauded for fielding a number of candidates. However, candidate Paul C. McKain later opted to run as an independent (No Party Affiliation), citing conversations with the voters of Florida's 2nd congressional district requesting him to do so.

On Monday, October 19, 2009, the Florida Whig Party announced two additional candidates for Congress, Clayton Schock in Florida's 20th congressional district and John Annarumma in Florida's 6th congressional district. No minor party has yet had as many as three candidates for U.S. House in any election year in the state of Florida. The Libertarian Party had two in 2004, and the Reform Party had two in 2000. The Green Party has not had any in the last ten years. The most the Constitution Party ever had in any one year was one (one in 2002 and one in 2004). The Socialist Workers Party has not had any.

After the election of November 4, 2008, the Modern Whig Party and the Florida Whig Party began a push to attract moderate/conservative Democrats and Republicans.

On January 7, 2010, the Florida Whig Party announced that it had a third and fourth candidate for U.S. House in 2010, Stephen J. Bacon in the Florida's 7th congressional district and Craig Porter in the Florida's 25th congressional district.

On February 2, 2010, the Florida Whig party website announced that Steven Gerritzen would be running in Florida's 8th congressional district against Democrat incumbent Alan Grayson.

Candidates

Announced for 2010 Elections

• 
  Law Enforcement Officer , Florida National Guard, United States Army. John Annarumma. Florida's 6th congressional district
• 
  Multi-media design and website development. Clayton Schock. Florida's 20th congressional district
• Business owner and General Contractor. Craig Porter. Florida's 25th congressional district
  Business owner and General Contractor. Craig Porter. Florida's 25th congressional district
• 
  Business owner and Financial Consultant. Stephen J. Bacon. Florida's 7th congressional district
• 
  Assembly Line Worker. Steven Gerritzen. Florida's 8th congressional district

John Annarumma is running against Republican incumbent Cliff Stearns in Florida's 6th congressional district.
Clayton Schock is running against Democratic incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida's 20th congressional district.
Stephen J. Bacon is running against Republican incumbent John L. Mica in Florida's 7th congressional district.
Craig Porter is running against Republican incumbent Mario Diaz-Balart in Florida's 25th congressional district.
Steven Gerritzen is running against Democratic incumbent Alan Grayson in Florida's 8th congressional district

Historic Florida Whigs of the 1800's

• 2nd Governor of Florida, Auditor of the Florida Territory in 1834, President of the legislative council in 1838, Member of the constitutional convention in 1839, Member of the first Florida House of Representatives under statehood in 1845. Thomas Brown (politician).
  2nd Governor of Florida, Auditor of the Florida Territory in 1834, President of the legislative council in 1838, Member of the constitutional convention in 1839, Member of the first Florida House of Representatives under statehood in 1845. Thomas Brown (politician).
• 
  State senate of Florida in 1850, U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 1st congressional district and Florida's 2nd congressional district, Served as a judge of the western circuit of Florida from 1853 to 1861. Jesse J. Finley.
• 
  United States Senator from Florida. Abijah Gilbert.
• 
  Was the first Hispanic American to serve in the United States Congress and was the first Delegate from the Florida Territory. Joseph Marion Hernández.
• 
  United States Senator from Florida., He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention for the first Florida Constitution. Jackson Morton.
• 
  1852 Candidate Governor of Florida. George Taliaferro Ward.
• 
  Senator from Florida. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention for the first Florida Constitution. James McNair Baker.
• 
  First US Representative from Florida. Edward Carrington Cabell.
• Served on the Florida Supreme Court from 1848 to 1850, served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1846–1847, later served as the first mayor of Tampa, Florida. Joseph B. Lancaster.
  Served on the Florida Supreme Court from 1848 to 1850, served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1846–1847, later served as the first mayor of Tampa, Florida. Joseph B. Lancaster.
• 
  Served on the Florida Supreme Court from 1851 to 1853. Albert G. Semmes.
• 
  Governor and Secretary of the Territory of East Florida. William Grafton Delaney Worthington.
• 
  Served in the Florida Senate in 1845, Florida Supreme Court justice in 1853. Benjamin D. Wright.

External links

• Florida Whig Party (Official)
• Florida Whig Party Blog (Official)
• Annarumma for Congress (Official campaign website)
• Clayton Schock for Congress (Official campaign website)
• Stephen Bacon for Congress (Official campaign website)
• Craig Porter for Congress (Official campaign website)
• Steven Gerritzen for Congress (Official campaign website)
• Florida Whig Party on Facebook
• Florida Whig Party on Twitter
• Florida Whigs Party of Hernando County