Curry Named New Florida GOP Chair

ORLANDO (CBSMiami) - In what may be it's most important campaign ever, the Florida GOP now has a new leader. Lenny Curry was unanimously elected chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, making him the fourth man to helm the organization in less than two years.

The 257-member Republican Executive Committee held a voice vote for Curry, who was the only candidate nominated for the chairmanship. He replaces the late David Bitner, who died earlier this month after a battle with Lou Gherig's disease. Bitner had endorsed Curry, his vice chairman, as his successor.

"I do not take this responsibility lightly," Curry said, "and I am focused like a laser to make sure that we have the leadership to stop Barack Obama?s big-government agenda."

Curry, a business consultant, remains as chairman of the Duval County GOP. He faces a number of challenges, including beating President Obama in Florida, handling a four-person primary to choose someone to take on Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and defusing a showdown with the national party over the state's primary date.

After the meeting, Curry said he supported an effort to make sure that the party holds its presidential preference primary as early as possible. Several Republican leaders have said Florida should go fifth -- after the traditional early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

The Republican National Committee has vowed to cut in half the delegations of states who break the calendar rules