Gov. Rick Scott skipping state Republicans annual meeting

Gov. Rick Scott skipping annual state Republican meeting

TALLAHASSEE -- When the Republican Party of Florida meets in Orlando this weekend for its annual meeting, one notable Republican will be missing from the crowd.

Gov. Rick Scott confirmed he will not be part of the two-day event at the Rosen Centre, which includes planning discussions for the 2016 election cycle and features the Republican candidates running for the U.S. Senate.

"I'm not going to be able to go," Scott said in an interview this week.

The two-day conference is the first annual meeting for the RPOF with Chairman Blaise Ingoglia. Scott was at the annual meeting last year, when Ingoglia, a Hernando County Republican, beat out Clay County Republican Leslie Dougher, who Scott had backed.

Around the same time, Scott transferred $580,000 he helped the party raise to his own political action committee called Let's Get to Work.

Ingoglia said this year's meeting will outline ways to improve the party's ground game and outreach efforts on social media. Republicans will have breakout sessions aimed at reaching out to minority voters and women in preparation for the 2016 races.

"The Florida GOP will be laser-focused during this meeting and throughout 2016 in electing a Republican not only to the White House, but in all offices across the Sunshine State," Ingoglia said in a statement previewing the meeting.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Gov. Rick Scott skipping state Republicans annual meeting ."