Gov. Ron DeSantis formally endorses Evan Power for the state Republican Party chairmanship

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday formally endorsed Republican Party of Florida Vice Chairman Evan Power in his bid for the state party’s chairmanship, as the current chairman, Christian Ziegler, is beleaguered with a sexual assault investigation.

The governor’s backing marks the latest in a series of high-level endorsements of Power, which includes U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and members of Florida’s congressional delegation, such as Rep. Kat Cammack, Rep. John Rutherford, and Rep. Aaron Bean.

“Honored to have the endorsement of Governor Ron DeSantis in our effort to Keep Florida Winning!” Said Power on X. “The Governor has invested millions with the party to register Republican voters and I look forward to continuing that effort.”

The state GOP’s executive committee is scheduled to meet on Jan. 8, where they will first decide on Ziegler’s role in the party moving forward and ans subsequently conduct a vote for a new chairman, should Ziegler be removed.

In announcing his intent to run, Power highlighted the urgency of leadership change, stating his readiness to lead the party to victory in the upcoming elections.

“It is imperative we move the party forward quickly and efficiently,” Power said. “With the 2024 elections less than a year away we need to hit the ground running. On January 8th, I will ask my fellow RPOF members to entrust me with the responsibility to lead our republican team to victory.”

In an interview with The Capitolist in 2023, Power stated that his vision for the party moving forward consists of building permanent voter infrastructure and continuing to turn out voters at a higher rate than Democrats.

“Florida is the beacon of freedom for the rest of the nation and we need to continue to push that success to local levels,” he said.

Peter Feaman, a Boynton Beach attorney and long-serving member of the Republican National Committee, serves as Power’s lone opponent in the race.

Power and Ziegler ran against each other last year for the Chair position, with the latter emerging victorious by a 126-100 vote tally.

Ziegler, embroiled in controversy following allegations of sexual battery, has been sidelined by the party’s Executive Board. In a meeting in December, the board voted to strip Ziegler of his authority, reducing his annual salary to $1 and removing him from key operational roles within the party.

The controversy surrounding Ziegler stems from a police investigation that was revealed through a search warrant for his telephone. It involves allegations of a sexual encounter, which included Ziegler and his wife, Bridget — a Mom’s For Liberty co-founder — with a woman who claimed Ziegler sexually assaulted her on Oct. 2. Ziegler has denied any wrongdoing.

Swaths of statewide Republican leaders, including DeSantis and both U.S. senators from Florida have called for Ziegler’s resignation.