No slam dunk for Thrasher

The five week race to head the Republican Party of Florida looks like a two-man, one-woman race now, and the early favorite is facing criticism from a powerful Senate Democrat.

After first looking like state Sen. John Thrasher, R-Jacksonville had been anointed by Republican leaders — including former Gov. Jeb Bush — two other candidates have surfaced on the heels of the sudden Jan. 5 resignation of Party Chairman Jim Greer.

Republican National Committeewoman Sharon Day of Broward County received support at the Jan. 9 weekend RPOF conference persuading her to seek the chairmanship. State committeeman Mark Cross of Osceola County is also putting himself in the running for the post. The election will be part of a specially called meeting of the committee on Feb. 20 when Greer officially steps down.

In the meantime, Thrasher is getting criticism from state Sen. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, the imposing six-foot-eight-inch Senate minority leader. In fact, Lawson has asked Senate President Jeff Atwater to remove Thrasher from two key committee posts.

Lawson, who played power forward in the late '60s on the Florida A&M basketball team, asserts Thrasher has a conflict of interest as chairman of the Senate ethics and elections committee.

Thrasher would also have an influential role in redistricting legislative and congressional seats as a member of the Senate reapportionment committee. Lawson is also a member of the reapportionment committee.