Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/88739
Sarasota News Leader October 19, 2012 position — he does not feel state officials are going to change their minds. Sarasota County Commissioner Joe Barbetta told the News Leader he found the situation "an embarrassment" to the Republican Party. Leonard Curry, the party chairman, "should stand up for the voters," Barbetta said. It was inexcusable for party officials to wait almost two months after the primary to tell Long she was being disqualified, Barbetta add- ed. He had heard reports, he said, that Long and others had been vic- tims of RPOF efforts to keep supporters of former GOP pres- idential candidate Ron Paul from tak- ing committeemen seats because the Paul allies would not sign the party loyalty oath. Long, Barbetta add- ed, "did everything she needed to do." RPOF officials did not return messag- es left by the News Leader. In spite of receiving the RPOF letter this week, Long has not given up just yet. Page 31 'I'm looking at options," she said, including legal action. In a 2009 case, Republican Party of Miami Dade County v. Davis, Florida's Third Dis- trict Court of Appeal ruled in favor of 19 Mi- ami-Dade Republican Executive Committee members whom the state party refused to al- low to take their seats because they had not signed the RFOP loyalty oath in a timely fash- ion. The opinion signed by Judge Vance E. Salt- er, says, "What is at stake is the fundamen- tal right of individuals to offer themselves as candidates for elective position — including political party po- sitions — and the equally fundamental right of party mem- bers to vote for the candidates of their choice. … [W]ell-set- tled Florida prec- edent forbids the Party from imposing additional, nonstatu- tory requirements as a condition of run- ning for elected of- fice." The Republican Party of Florida Loyalty Oath is available on the party's website, www.rpof.org. The opinion says the party's "rule es- tablishing the Ad- ditional Candidate Condition operates as an additional un- authorized condition on candidacy, and violates the Florida Election Code."