In war over GOP, right wins battle in Florida

A close ally of Gov. Charlie Crist resigns as chairman of the state party

Published January 5, 2010 5:05PM (EST)

This year, Florida will be a key battleground in the war over the direction of the Republican Party. Gov. Charlie Crist, a moderate who's been very popular, was supposed to cruise to victory in the race for an open Senate seat, but he's been facing a surprisingly tough opponent on his right flank in the form of one-time state House Speaker Marco Rubio. And on Tuesday, Crist lost a big battle.

Jim Greer, the chair of the state GOP, is a close ally of Crist's. But he's been facing pressure for some time now over party finances and hsi involvement with contested primaries, especially the governor's. Rubio's people have spent some time calling for his ouster.

Now, they've gotten it: Greer is reportedly resigning from his post.


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

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2010 Elections Charlie Crist Florida Senate Race Marco Rubio Republican Party War Room