Republican Party endorses countywide faith and values club in Pasco

HUDSON — When they talk about organizing, county Republican leaders often talk about geography.

Look no further than the names of their best-known chartered clubs: West Pasco Republican Club. Wesley Chapel Republicans. Republican Club of Central Pasco.

But Randy Maggard, first-year chairman of Pasco's Republican Executive Committee, wants more issue-driven clubs — ones for which people are willing to drive across the county.

Enter the Faith and Family Values Republican Club of Pasco County, the first of its kind in the state.

Maggard said the discussions at many of the geography-based clubs can be broad, which may not appeal to everyone.

"Whether we like it or not, there are hot-button issues out there that people are passionate about," Maggard said.

The Faith and Family Values Club is holding its first big event Thursday, sponsoring an appearance in Hudson by U.S. Senate candidate and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami at its monthly club meeting. The event is free and open to the public.

Faith-based political groups are nothing new, but the state Republican Party's official stamp on such a club is. The Pasco organization is the first GOP-chartered club in Florida that is focused solely on faith and family values, according to state Republican officials.

John Tracy, an associate pastor at Hillsdale Baptist Church in Carrollwood, is taking the lead on the flagship group, which has a stated mission to "promote and protect Judeo-Christian family values and principles."

Turnout at each of its first two meetings was about 40 people.

Tracy, a 30-year-old father of two who lives in Trinity, said the group will focus on issues such as abortion and morality in public leaders.

No doubt, that last issue can be complicated. In recent weeks, the Republican Party has endured the disclosure of extramarital affairs by two 2012 presidential prospects, Nevada Sen. John Ensign and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.

"It's discouraging, horribly discouraging," Tracy said. "If you're going to lead people, you have to be a person of value. It transcends party lines. But as a Republican, when it's a Republican who's being a jerk, it's very discouraging."

With so many people focused on the economy, how does Tracy think the faith and values club will fare?

"We're in a financial crisis and obviously that's got to be at the top of the priority list," he said. "But, equally, if not more importantly for me, is the issue of morality. For me, you can't have one without the other. People of character will be good stewards of money."

In addition to Tracy's club and a second faith-based group in Holiday, the Pasco GOP this year chartered a veterans group and a young professionals club, said Maggard.

Maggard's predecessor, Bill Bunting, said the attempts to reach out to conservative Christians is smart.

"It's a really conservative county," said Bunting, a state committeeman. "We're going to pick up a lot of independents on the faith-based group."

Pasco Democrats still find that most of their members prefer to congregate where they live, said chairwoman Alison Morano. "Pasco is a very large county so you still find the geographic groups coming together," she said.

Still, one issue-oriented Democratic club is finding success, she said. Club Change Pasco, which has about 100 members, is focused on promoting President Barack Obama's agenda.

"Obama is giving us the issues that he wants us to work on," she said, citing health care reform. "And it's the stuff we elected him to do."

Jodie Tillman can be reached at jtillman@sptimes.com or (727) 869-6247.