Screenshot courtesy C-Span: Joe Gruters speaks to Republican National Committee members.

Ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration today, state Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, won election as treasurer for the Republican National Committee.

“I appreciate the confidence President Trump, Chairman (Michael) Whatley and all my colleagues have placed in me to serve as Treasurer of the Republican National Committee,” Gruters told SRQ.

The Florida Republican National Committeeman won the post unanimously, two years after running for the position unsuccessfully against Kentucky’s K.C. Crosbie. This year, Crosbie ran for RNC Co-Chair.

Whatley, North Carolina Republican Party chairman, took over the RNC in February after former RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel stepped aside to move room for Trump’s choice to head the national party. That showed the different state of national GOP politics from last time Gruters ran for RNC Treasurer. He had Trump’s endorsement for his 2023 campaign but fell far short of winning the post. Now, Trump has effectively slated an entire slate of officers at the RNC, all of who ran without opposition.

Gruters won election at a winter meeting of the RNC in Washington, D.C. and will remain in the nation’s capitol for the inauguration today. At the meeting, Florida Republican National Committeewoman Kathleen King,a long-time Manatee County Republican leader, seconded Gruters’ nomination for the Treasurer position. She has worked closely with Gruters on regional political efforts for decades.

“He will bring Florida to the RNC,” King said, “and together with this board, Joe, President Trump, (and Vice President) JD Vance, we will make America safe again, we will make America strong again, we will make America great again, and we will make liberals cry again with this organization.”

Screenshot courtesy C-Span: Joe Gruters speaks to Republican National Committee members.