State Senator Joe Gruters is set to become chairman of the Republican National Committee later this month, with a vote scheduled for August 22 during the RNC’s summer meeting in Atlanta. Gruters is the only candidate to file by the deadline, meaning he will be selected unopposed.
Gruters, who currently serves as RNC treasurer, was endorsed by President Donald Trump in July following the resignation of Chair Michael Whatley. Trump said Gruters would “do an incredible job leading the Republican National Committee to big victories in November.”
A longtime ally of Trump, Gruters has also been one of the most pro-marijuana Republican lawmakers in Florida. He supported Amendment 3, the 2024 voter initiative to legalize recreational marijuana for adults, calling it “a common-sense decision that prioritizes individual freedom, health, safety and economic growth.”
Gruters has also backed legislation to protect the jobs of state employees who use marijuana legally and has filed multiple bills to allow medical marijuana patients to grow up to two plants at home, arguing it is a natural extension of patient rights.
Gruters will formally take over the position immediately following the August 22 vote, which will be a formality given his unopposed candidacy. Once he does, he will become the first leader of the RNC ever to support the legalization of cannabis.
Sponsored
