Former U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., a favorite of the tea party movement, was named as the CEO of National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) this week. Based in Dallas, Texas, the NCPA has been a think tank promoting free-market values for more than three decades.
“I am humbled and honored to have this opportunity to lead one of the country’s pre-eminent think tanks,” said West on Friday. “I have long admired the NCPA’s innovative research in health care, tax reform, entitlements, retirement, energy, environmental and education policy.”
West insisted being out of the Beltway was a blessing for the NCPA.
“I believe one of the NCPA’s strengths is that it is not headquartered in Washington, D.C.,” West said. “Working from the nation’s center, I believe the NCPA’s future is that of a leader in economic research as the most trusted policy analysis voice in America – philosophical, principled and policy proficient.
“It will be policy, not politics that secures a sound economic future for Americans – with growth, opportunity and returning the promise of the American dream for this generation and those to come,” West added.
“Allen West is an outstanding choice for CEO. He is a visionary leader, committed to the free-market principles that form the foundation of the NCPA’s research and education,” said NCPA Board Chairman Steve Ivy before praising Dennis McCuistion who led the group on an interim basis. “We are grateful to Dennis McCuistion for his outstanding leadership these past six months and his success in bringing Allen West to the NCPA.”
West had left the door open to a political comeback in 2016, musing about running for the U.S. Senate if U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., decides not to run for a second term. But any plans for a comeback in the Sunshine State are being put on the back burner as West plans to relocate to Dallas and leave Florida.
In the 2014 election cycle, the Allen West Guardian Fund PAC proved on the whole successful, as it backed Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House, spending more than $1.3 million in support of the GOP.
“We are thrilled to announce that nine of our endorsed candidates were victorious Tuesday — and three races are still too close to call,” West emailed supporters on Thursday. “An additional eight seats were taken by individuals whom we supported on the federal and state levels. We are so very pleased to congratulate our endorsed Allen West Guardian Fund candidates and thank them for bravely stepping forward to protect this constitutional republic. These veteran and minority patriots will play a crucial role in righting this great ship called the United States of America. As never before, we need their voices to help reframe the debate on Capitol Hill and halt the dangerous agenda of Barack Obama and the progressive left.”
But West proved less successful in the Sunshine State than he did at the national level. West’s PAC backed Miami-Dade School Board member Carlos Curbelo who defeated U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia, D-Fla. But other efforts in Florida did not bear fruit for West. Back in January, West supported Mark Bircher in the Republican primary in a special congressional election in Pinellas County. Bircher placed third in a three-candidate field. West backed Juno City Commissioner Ellen Andel for the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., who beat West in 2012. Andel pulled the plug on her campaign in February due to fundraising problems and other issues. In the last weekend of the campaign, West stumped for U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., in Panama City but that congressman was defeated by Democrat Gwen Graham on Election Day. Other Republican candidates in Florida that West singled out running in heavily Democratic districts — Glo Smith who challenged U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., and Stuart Mears who took on incoming Florida House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach — also went down to defeat on Tuesday.
As he prepares to start his new post in January, West promised to continue the fight for small government and fiscal conservatism.
“We want to align ourselves with the fundamental principle of governance of America as a constitutional republic and promote the principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, individual sovereignty and free-market economy,” West said on Friday. “We should focus not on party but rather effective and efficient governing policy. We want our message to reach the kitchen tables of the everyday American.”
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
