Republican State Executive Committee Elects John Thrasher RPOF Chairman

RPOF Press Release - February 20, 2010
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Debbie Cox-Roush Elected Vice Chairman

Tallahassee–The Republican State Executive Committee today elected State Senator John Thrasher (R-St. Augustine) to serve as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Hillsborough County Chairwoman Deborah Cox-Roush was elected to serve as RPOF Vice Chairman.

“I am grateful to the members of the Republican State Executive Committee for placing their trust in me and honored to lead this great organization during this most important election cycle,” said Chairman Thrasher. “Florida Republicans have a remarkable opportunity to make a tremendous impact in November. It’s time to move forward together with the understanding that our common adversary is the Democrat style of governing and that our shared mission is working tirelessly to elect Republicans at the local, state and federal levels.

RPOF Chairman John Thrasher
John Thrasher is a member of the Florida Senate and a former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. While leading the Florida House of Representatives during Jeb Bush’s first two years as Governor, John helped pass some of the landmark reforms advanced by the Governor, including an overhaul of the state’s education system. Among his many accolades, John served as a Florida co-chair for the George W. Bush for President Campaign in 2004 and is a former chairman of the Board of Trustees of Florida State University. John was honored by having the FSU medical school building named after him.

John Thrasher began his political career in 1986 with his election to the Clay County School Board. He served as vice chairman, then chairman, of the board before running for the Florida House of Representatives. In 1992 he was elected to his first term as a state representative and was re-elected without opposition in 1994, 1996, and 1998. On November 17, 1998, the House of Representatives unanimously elected John Thrasher as Speaker of the House for the 1999 through 2000 term.

John grew up in Jacksonville and obtained his bachelor’s degree in business from Florida State University before joining the United States Army. He served first in Germany, where he received the Army Commendation Medal, and later in Vietnam, where he was awarded two Bronze Stars. John attained the rank of captain before his honorable discharge. John returned to Tallahassee and earned his law degree with honors from the Florida State University College of Law. He was in private law practice in Daytona Beach and Tallahassee for several years before returning to Jacksonville to serve as general counsel of the Florida Medical Association, a position he held for 20 years.

John and his wife, Jean, have three children and eight grandchildren.

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