Chairman
Republican Party of Florida
420 E. Jefferson Street
PO Box 311
Tallahassee, FL 32301VIA FAX (850) 681-0184
Dear Mr. Curry:
I am deeply disheartened that you and the Republican Party of Florida decided to keep me off the Florida Republican Primary Ballot, especially in light of the fact that Michigan just announced that I will appear on its Republican Primary ballot next year.
My campaign staff and I called and emailed your office and you repeatedly for several weeks before you made the decision which candidates to include on the Florida ballot and which to leave off. Our phone calls and emails were never returned.
I have been extremely active in Republican Party politics for over 40 years. I ran dozens of GOP races. I was a part of nine Presidential campaigns including those for President’s Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Gerald Ford.
I have been campaigning for President full time for the past 22 months. I was the first serious candidate to announce his intention to run in April 2010, the first to establish a Presidential Exploratory Committee in July 2010, the first to file with the Federal Election Commission in Washington, DC in March 2011, the first to run campaign commercials beginning in September 2010 and the first to hire staff way back in March 2010. I have campaigned in over 25 states including several visits to Florida. I have been featured and profiled in most major newspapers and appear frequently on national and international television and radio.
According to news reports, you chose to only include those Presidential candidates who participated in the most recent Florida Fox News Debate. I qualified for that debate. I met the criteria of achieving 1% in five national polls. I filed a 158-page complaint with the Federal Elections Commission against Rupert Murdoch and Fox News because I was excluded. By your criteria, I should be on the Florida Republican Primary Ballot as well.
Last Friday, Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson created a list of Presidential candidates who will appear on its February 28, 2012 Primary Ballot. Her criteria, candidates who were “generally advocated by the national news media.” I will appear on the Michigan Republican Primary Ballot as well as the January 10, 2012 New Hampshire Primary Ballot.
As you are undoubtedly aware, my candidacy is historic. I am the first openly gay candidate to ever run for President of the United States from a major political party. I am also the first Jewish Republican to ever to run for President and appear on state ballots.
Florida is an important state in the Presidential Primaries and in the general election. These two constituencies may well be key to our success.
Mr. Curry, please do the right thing. Discrimination has no place in the party of Abraham Lincoln.
There are 2 ½ months until the Florida Republican Presidential Primary. The ballots have yet to be printed.
I urge you to do the right thing and let me on the Florida Republican Primary Ballot next year. Help open up and grow our Republican Party.
Best regards,
Fred Karger
cc: Chairman Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee
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