Marco Rubio, the underdog gaining steam in his race against Gov. Charlie Crist for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, appealed to Broward Republicans Monday night, setting up a showdown between the two candidates in the pivotal county.

The Fort Lauderdale meeting of the Broward Republican Executive Committee was not limited to its members, which allowed Rubio's supporters to pack the room. More than 300 people came to hear and cheer the former Florida House speaker.

Rubio didn't talk about specific issues such as healthcare, but instead gave a short, rousing speech calling for less government influence, specifically on the economy.

``The more government is involved in your economy, the harder it is to open up a business in the spare bedroom of your home,'' he said.

Rubio did not mention Crist's name once in his 10-minute speech, but made a veiled reference to presenting himself as the more conservative candidate.

``I think this country already has a Democratic Party,'' he said. ``It doesn't need another one.''

Broward is important turf for Crist. In the past it has produced a loyal base for the governor. A straw poll in Broward went in Crist's favor in 2006, and the connections between the governor and the county are strong: All three of his chiefs of staff have come from Broward.

Recently, local GOP leaders have been in close contact with Crist and his staff about who the governor should appoint to fill the slots of suspended County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, Jr. and School Board Member Beverly Gallagher. On Monday, Crist announced that he had chosen former Broward GOP chair Kevin Tynan to replace Gallagher -- stealing some of the spotlight from Rubio.

Broward Republicans argued in August about whether to hold a straw poll in the 2010 Rubio-Crist primary. Such polls are nonbinding, but they make headlines.

If Crist lost a straw poll in a county as big as Broward, that would be a significant blow to his race. With more than 240,000 registered Republicans, the county represents the second-largest contingent behind Rubio's home turf in Miami-Dade.

Crist is expected to speak to the Broward GOP on Nov. 23, and a straw poll, should it take place, would be held at the earliest in January.

This month, the governor saw his lead over Rubio cut to 50-35 percent, according to one poll. And a separate poll showed Crist's approval rating fell under 50 percent for the first time since his 2006 election.

But Crist has a massive campaign war chest -- more than $6 million -- which is more than triple Rubio's.

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@