Officials in the Florida Republican Party are pushing back hard against the expected challenge from Newt Gingrich's campaign to the way that the Sunshine State will award delegates based on this week's primary.
While national Republican rules for 2012 say no state can be "winner take all" before April 1, that's what Florida's GOP Primary was - and Mitt Romney was the winner of those 50 delegates.
But Gingrich's campaign says it will challenge that plan, which would then go before the Republican National Committee.
Today, the Florida GOP Chairman, Lenny Curry said it was a "shame" that Gingrich would pursue such a strategy.
Here is Curry's statement:
"On September 23, 2011, RPOF's Executive Board - 38 people including members from around the state, members who serve on the RNC, and members who are affiliated with different campaigns - unanimously passed RPOF Rule 10. Rule 10 determined Florida would be winner take all if the primary date was moved by statute and Florida was penalized by RNC for the move. All campaigns and the RNC have known since then that Florida was winner take all. RNC's legal counsel has, on numerous occasions, noted their understanding and acceptance of Florida's rule.
"Florida was winner take all before Election Day, we were winner take all on Election Day, we will remain winner take all. As Bill McCollum confirmed to Fox News today, had the outcome been different on Tuesday he would not be seeking publicity for a challenge to the rules adopted by Florida's Republicans. It is a shame when the loser of a contest agrees to the rules before, then cries foul after losing."
If you are wondering what the RNC rules actually say about primaries and caucuses occuring before April 1 - like Florida - here is the rule for 2012:
"Any presidential primary, caucus, convention, or other meeting held for the purpose of selecting delegates to the national convention which occurs prior to the first day of April in the year in which the national convention is held, shall provide for the allocation of delegates on a proportional basis."
It should be noted that one other state is "winner take all" before April 1 - that is Arizona, which holds its GOP Primary on February 28.
