Gov. Rick Perry Gearing Up to Run Hard in Florida

It appears Texas Gov. Rick Perry intends to compete strongly in Florida, which will likely be the fifth nominating contest for Republicans in 2012:

POLITICO: How do you start from nothing and quickly rev up a serious presidential campaign in a state as big as Florida?

We’re about to see Rick Perry try.

The Republican presidential race suddenly looks like a three-person battle between Texas Gov. Perry, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. . . .

Grass-roots activists and veteran political consultants say they see no sign of Bachmann trying to organize a campaign in Florida. . . . It’s a different story with Perry, who formally jumped in the race Saturday.

Perry campaign officials are talking to some of the top Republican strategists, including former George W. Bush Florida 2004 chief Brett Doster and the Tallahassee team of Randy Enwright, Jim Rimes and Rich Heffley. The late entry into the contest has also contacted many of the state’s top money-raisers and found some keen interest.

“You will see quite a number of top fundraisers come on board for Perry. I’ve talked to many of my Republican friends in Florida and there is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for Perry,” said St. Petersburg doctor Akshay “A.K.” Desai, a top GOP fundraiser helping host Perry’s first Florida fundraiser, tentatively planned for Sept. 13 somewhere in the Tampa Bay area. “Some of the people who signed up with other candidates, I think you will see moving to Perry.”

Local party leaders in Florida say they struggle to communicate with anyone in the Bachmann campaign but Perry’s people are talking about a vigorous Florida effort. . . . Read More