The Republican Party of Florida voted to remove Christain Ziegler from his position on Monday following accusations of sexual assault, subsequently electing Evan Power as his successor. 

The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) moved to oust Christian Ziegler from his role as party Chairman, subsequently electing Evan Power to the position.

Power, who served as Vice Chairman to Ziegler, topped National Committeeman Peter Feaman in the vote on Monday, tallying 135 votes to Feaman’s 65. Notably, Power and Ziegler ran against each other earlier this year for the Chair position, with the latter emerging victorious by a 126-100 margin.

“Congratulations to our new Chairman, Evan Power,” said the RPOF on X. “Under his strong leadership, we will Keep Florida RED, deliver Florida’s 30 electoral votes to the GOP presidential candidate, and elect Republicans up and down the ballot. Let’s get to work!”

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.

In the weeks leading up to the vote, Power accrued a series of high-profile endorsements, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, swaths of Florida’s Congressional Delegation, and United States Senator Rick Scott.

“Congrats to the new Florida GOP Chair Evan Power!” Said Scott following the vote. “I look forward to working with him this year to take back the White House, the Senate and expand on the gains the GOP has been making in Florida!”

Ziegler, embroiled in controversy following allegations of sexual battery, was sidelined by the party’s Executive Board after the body 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 involving 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. Amidst the police investigation, Ziegler continues to deny any wrongdoing.