After spending much of the last year more concerned about national politics, former U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., a favorite of the tea party movement, is turning his focus back on the Sunshine State.
West will be traveling to Panama City on Saturday to help U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., who is facing a serious challenge from Democrat Gwen Graham. West, along with U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga., will be rallying Republicans, encouraging them to get out and vote.
Democrats tried to make an issue of West’s backing Southerland with David Bergstein, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), calling them “both symbols of exactly what North Florida families despise about the dysfunction and paralyzing partisanship of Washington.”
Despite leaving the door open to a political comeback in 2016, West has kept a low profile in the Sunshine State in recent months. Some of the candidates he backed in Florida congressional primaries — including Ellen Andel who was running for the GOP nomination against U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., who beat West back in 2012 — flopped. Using his Allen West Guardian Fund PAC, the former congressman endorsed 14 Republican congressional candidates but none of them hailed from Florida.
Still, West went to bat for Glo Smith, the Republican candidate running against U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., last week. West included Smith in his “races to watch” list.
“These men and women are precisely what our nation needs in positions of leadership,” West emailed supporters last Wednesday. “They bring fresh, new veteran and minority voices to the national debate, but most importantly they stand steadfast for our constitutional principles of a strong national defense, unfettered free market and a government controlled by the people — not the other way around.”
West offered his supporters a quick introduction to Smith.
“Growing up in the poorest part of Jacksonville, Glo was no stranger to poverty as a child,” West wrote. “Before her mother remarried, their large family was living off a single mother’s salary and was dependent upon government assistance. For years, Glo’s mother relied on government provisions and commodities to feed and care for her children. Regardless of the financial hardship, Glo was determined to succeed, was inspired to establish her career as a public servant.
“Glo obtained a master’s of business administration degree and launched a 30-year career in public service and entrepreneurship,” West added. “As an entrepreneur, Glo started a small business. In an effort to help others succeed, she developed curriculum for the University of North Florida’s Small Business Resource Center.”
West showcased 11 state candidates on Tuesday including one from Florida: Stuart Mears, the Republican looking to defeat incoming Florida House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach.
“After graduating from Lake Worth Community High School in 1992, Stuart joined the United States Army Infantry and served his country proudly,” West emailed supporters on Tuesday. “Stuart served mostly in Vilseck, Germany, but he also spent a tour in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia as part of a peacekeeping mission with the United Nations. Stuart finished his service in Fort Benning, Ga., and was honorably discharged in 1996. Stuart is an educator with the school district of Palm Beach County and works at the administrative level as an instructional specialist at the Adult Education Center.”
In talks with the media over the last year, West has expressed some interest in running for the U.S. Senate, especially if U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., does not run for a second term.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
