Tom Gaitens

Red America First interview with Guest Tom Gaitens,  State Committeeman for Hillsborough County

10/26/2023 – 9:00pm EST

Republican Party, Hillsborough County → https://www.hillsborough.gop/

PARTY LEADER? OR A LEGISLATOR WITHIN THE PARTY?

Terminology matters and often people use the phrase “party leaders” when referring to their favorite Republicans. Technically this is incorrect.

There is a difference between elected officials (legislators) and the Republican party’s actual LEADERS, they are not the same. The actual leadership of the Republican party is often unknown to the general population. It’s not like these people are hiding. They are just not given the celebrity status that those in D.C. and state capitols are given. If you are reading this, it means you have found the Republican leaders within Hillsborough county.

The biggest difference between the two is their areas of focus. Legislators are working on bills for their county, state or the nation. There is no real connection from county representatives to state or even nationally.

The Republican party is a complete organizational structure it starts at the precinct level. Precincts generally comprise of 4-5 neighborhoods. There are a number of people who represent their precinct at the county level. This is called the Republican Executive Committee (REC). Once a month these people get together to conduct official business. The monthly meeting is lead by the leadership that is elected from within the group. This is the most important position in all of politics. These people are the ones who are the closest to the voter and help to elect qualified candidates who represent them.

From the REC, there are 3 people from each county who meet on a quarterly basis with every other county from the state. This group is called the State Executive Committee (SEC). One is elected by all of the precinct committee men and women, they are the Chairman. The other two are elected by all Republicans from within the county, one is the State Committeeman and the other is the State Committeewoman. The quarterly meetings consist of training to help counties succeed in future elections. There are a number of committees from within this group that focus on a number of different issues from voting to outreach and other pertinent information.

From the SEC, there are also 3 people who represent the entire state at the next level you may be familiar with and that is the RNC, the Republican National Committee. There is a State Chairman and a National Committeeman and a National Committeewoman. These people represent the issues that matter most to their respective states on the national stage.

There is a clearly identified hierarchy that is established within the party. The number one goal of all of these entities is to elect qualified candidates who will best represent each of our communities. With all of that said, here are the links to the Republican leaders for our county as well as the elected officials who represent us and those running to represent our county in the future.