2:31In this April 30, 2021, file photo, Florida Senator Joe Gruters looks on during a legislative session at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla.Wilfredo Lee/AP, FILE
On Friday, the Republican National Committee picked President Donald Trump’s hand-picked choice, Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters, with a resounding acclamation.
Gruters’ elevation highlights the RNC’s pledge to amplify voices aligned with Trump’s agenda as the White House sharpens its focus in advance of the midterms.
The role was vacated by outgoing chair Michael Whatley, who last month entered the race for retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis’ U.S. Senate seat. From his social-media platform, Trump simultaneously touted Whatley’s candidacy while showering his “complete and total endorsement” on Gruters, calling him “terrific” for the chairmanship.
In this April 30, 2021, file photo, Florida Senator Joe Gruters looks on during a legislative session at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla.Wilfredo Lee/AP, FILE
With the president’s backing, any potential challengers vanished, leaving Gruters to cruise unopposed.
Whatley likewise voiced his approval for Gruters to succeed him.
Gruters helmed the Florida GOP from 2019 through 2023—an era Republicans credit for erasing Democrats’ voter-registration edge statewide. After Election Day 2018, Democrats held an advantage of roughly 263,000 registrants. By autumn 2022, however, Republicans commanded a 292,500-plus advantage—totaling a swing of nearly 556,000 new voters, according to PBS data.
“You signed up almost a million fresh Republicans in Florida. That hallmark achievement was Joe’s legacy as party chair … Under his tenure, Florida stopped being a toss-up state,” remarked Scott Golden, the Tennessee GOP chair and a longtime Gruters confidant.
Golden further observed that Gruters—now serving as RNC treasurer—has proved a “phenomenal” fundraiser, a vital asset for any chairman.
In this Feb. 21, 2025, file photo, Chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Whatley speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center, in Oxon Hill, Maryland.Alex Wong/Getty Images, FILE
“Everyone’s confident he’ll excel as chairman. He’s a sharp analyst, a CPA by trade. Florida’s an ideal proving ground for politics, and most members nationwide recognize Joe’s expertise,” Golden added. “He’ll manage the party flawlessly and make sure every resource hits the ground for a strong 2026.”
Gruters was among the first Sunshine State officials to board the Trump bandwagon in 2016. Trump later returned the favor, endorsing Gruters’ 2022 state-Senate race and again boosting him for Florida chief financial officer, citing their long alliance.
“Joe was on the ‘Trump Train’ before the wheels even rolled,” Trump posted in May 2024. “As a state senator and Florida GOP chair, no one has done more to turn Florida’s map red and elect Republicans across every level.”
While Gruters met almost zero pushback from committee members and the president’s inner circle, one open skeptic remains: Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.
At a briefing where DeSantis supported the eventual CFO pick, he blasted Gruters.
“Joe Gruters has staked out major stances totally at odds with what our base demands,” DeSantis declared in July. “So even if George Washington rose from the grave and personally asked me to name Gruters CFO, my answer would still be ‘no.’”
Still, Gruters told local outlet Florida Politics he is willing to patch things up.
ABC News contacted DeSantis for comment.
President Donald Trump participates in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in the East Room of the White House, Aug. 18, 2025, in Washington.Alex Brandon/AP
Longtime GOP strategist Brett Doster told ABC that with Gruters, Trump gains both a prolific fundraiser and a tireless brawler.
“I’ve known Joe for over two decades—long before his days in the statehouse. Back in 2015, he took a bold leap and aligned with Trump when almost every other Florida leader stayed tethered to Jeb or Marco out of pure loyalty,” Doster recalled.
“With Gruters at the helm, Trump secures a seasoned spokesman who will battle for the administration on every Sunday program and keep the RNC locked onto the Trump–Wiles roadmap for the midterms without distraction from Hill-side maneuvering.”
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
