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Lee may run for county GOP chairman

Posted Nov 12, 2012 by William March

Updated Nov 12, 2012 at 06:57 PM

State Sen. Tom Lee of Brandon is considering running to replace Art Wood as chairman of the Hillsborough County Republican Party.

“I’ve been asked by a number of people to consider doing so, and I’ve talked to the state committeeman and committeewoman and some key Republican leaders in the community, to try to understand what the expectations of the chairman might be,” Lee said Friday. “I’ve told them I’d consider it if they thought I could be of some help.”

Lee said he doesn’t know right now when he’ll decide, but neither he nor other possible candidates have unlimited time—the election must take place during December.

“You need people in those positions that are consensus builders, and I want to make sure people think that’s what I would be,” Lee said.

Current Chairman Art Wood said last week he won’t run again because of the time demands of the job.

Lee, a former state Senate president from Brandon, just won another stint in the state Senate.

A few other Republicans have been discussed as possible candidates for the chairman’s job or have discussed it with party activists, but if Lee runs, he likely would be the frontrunner.