CLEARWATER -- After picking up a key endorsement Monday that could pump big money into his campaign, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio set to work on another win that would deliver a big, symbolic blow to Charlie Crist in the governor's home county.

The Miami Republican, challenging Crist for the U.S. Senate nomination, drew about 400 people Monday night to a meeting of the Pinellas Republican Party. In January the group will hold a ``straw poll'' on whether local activists prefer Rubio or Crist as their nominee. While officially meaningless, a Pinellas victory for Rubio, a former Florida House speaker, would be especially stinging coming from the Republican activists who know Crist best.

``I come to this community tonight running for the same office that one of your native sons is running for. This is someone that you know, someone that you voted for, someone that you raised money for, someone that you've worked for, someone you've invested time in all these years,'' said Rubio, declaring that President Barack Obama's big-government agenda has put America at an extraordinary crossroads.

``Never before have we so needed people to go to Washington, D.C., to stand up to that message and offer the American people a clear alternative to that message,'' Rubio said in his third Tampa Bay-area stop in a week.

Crist is overwhelmingly beating Rubio in statewide polls and money-raising, but the contest is drawing national attention as the highest-profile example of the moderate vs. conservative battle within the GOP. The influential Club for Growth, which helped push Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter into the Democratic Party and recently spent about $1 million to defeat a liberal Republican in an upstate New York congressional election, on Monday formally endorsed Rubio.

``Marco Rubio is the real deal, one of the brightest young stars in American politics today, and a proven champion of economic liberty,'' said Club for Growth president Chris Chocola, noting that the club had concluded Rubio could beat Crist for the nomination and defeat Democrat Kendrick Meek in the general election.

Even in Crist's home county, that view was common among the party faithful gathered Monday night at Tucson's restaurant. Republican executive committees tend to draw the most fervent and conservative activists, but it remains to be seen whether they will dominate the primary electorate.

``It's a sliver of the base,'' said Greg Truax, Crist's Hillsborough County campaign chairman, dismissing the significance of Crist's overwhelming losses in recent straw poll votes across the state.

Crist, though, appears to understand the symbolism of Rubio's potentially winning the support of his home county's most die-hard Republican door-knockers and envelope-stuffers. He stopped by unexpectedly at last month's Republican Executive Committee meeting and is scheduled to be the main speaker in December. The vote will come the next month.

Former Pinellas Republican Chairman Tony DiMatteo, now a Rubio backer, said it could be close and that he heard Crist had been working the phones.

U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Indian Shores, also attended Monday's meeting, but stressed that he avoids making primary endorsements, even in cases like this involving a hometown colleague.

But Beverly Young, his wife, offered her own thoughts after Rubio's rousing speech.

``I love Marco,'' she gushed.

``She's not endorsing either,'' said the congressman, ushering her away.

``I love Marco,'' she repeated before disappearing out the door.

Adam C. Smith can be reached at asmith@sptimes.com.

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@