David Storck, chairman of the Hillsborough County Republican Party, says he won't seek re-election to the post next month. Storck raised hackles in the days before the general election by forwarding an e-mail to hundreds of local party members warning of "the threat" of carloads of black people going to the polls to vote for Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, local GOP leaders say the party needs to make peace between social and fiscal conservatives and strive for greater inclusion of blacks, Hispanics and young people in its ranks to maintain its relevance. Hillsborough County, which some consider a bellwether for the state, went to Barack Obama last week, after backing Republicans in six of the seven previous presidential contests.

"If we've gotten complacent because we've always been Republican, it kind of threw a bucket of cold water in our face," said former state Rep. Sandy Murman.

Read more about it here.

Janet Zink, Times staff writer

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