I have given my papers from my years of public service to the University of Central Florida and am now organizing them by the years. The 1966 papers cover the period when I was chairman of the Florida Young Republicans and took over the Republican state party. There wasn't much to take over. There had not been a Republican governor since Reconstruction. There were only three Republican members of Congress and just a few state legislators. I became treasurer of the state party and inherited a fiscal disaster. If we were a company, we would have had a "going out of business" sale. We were in the black, but just barely.

The Republic party today has completely changed for the better. A few days ago, I attended the 2002 Florida Majority dinner in Orlando for Governor Jeb Bush. The chief speaker was President George W. Bush. The dinner raised over $2.5 million and the Florida Republican party expects to raise $30 million before the campaign ends. The Democrats are working hard in attempting to raise money but are not doing as well. The party with the President always has an advantage. Just look what a big draw former President Clinton was. And of course, Clinton still brings in big dollars for the Democrats.

The Democrats in Florida are in trouble. The Republican party is outraising them at a fairly significant ratio. They have two candidates for governor, both of whom trail Governor Bush by double digits. They are having trouble recruiting candidates for the three cabinet positions. Reapportionment has insured that the Republicans will keep a large majority in the Florida House of Representatives and in the Florida Senate. In the United States House of Representatives, the Republicans will pick up the two new seats and have a shot at taking the seat of Democrat incumbent, Karen Thurman. The Democrats are facing today what the Republicans faced only a few years ago. It is difficult to raise money and recruit candidates when winning means, at best, serving in the minority. That leaves the Democrat party with some difficult choices. Which races do they write off? This could mean that if the polls don't change, the Democrat party may put very little money into the governor's race, and look instead at the attorney general race so there will be at least one statewide Democrat office holder. It may mean that the Democrats concentrate on only a few legislative races such as Karen Thurman's or an open state Senate seat in the Orlando area. Democrats will have to engage in guerilla warfare as the Republican party did for so many years, keeping their base alive and waiting for the inevitable day when the pendulum will swing back their way. In politics, it's amazing how the fortunes of political parties change over the years. Right now, it's the Republican's turn. Who knows how long it will last? Both sides agree that it will last at least through the 2002 election.

Lou Frey represented Central Florida in the U. S. Congress from 1969 to 1979. In his last election, he received 78% of the vote. He was elected one of five Republican leaders in the House of Representatives during the 93^rd and 94^th Congress. He served on...