A high-profile member of Gators for McCain, a student group boasting about 1,000 members, announced Sunday that he voted for Sen. Barack Obama about two weeks ago.
However, some members of UF College Republicans claim Joshua Simmons, who said he was chairman of Gators for McCain until Sunday night, was actually not the group's leader and was not actively involved with the group recently.
Alligator archives show Simmons debated for the group on behalf of McCain in an Oct. 10 debate sponsored by the Black Political Science Association. Simmons also spoke on behalf of the group in an Oct. 10 story about Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal coming to a UF tailgate.
The New York Times identified Simmons as chairman in an Oct. 28 story about how McCain groups were being outspent and outnumbered by Obama supporters on college campuses.
Simmons declined to comment for today's story.
Simmons's quotes in the Alligator were republished on several Web sites, including the Miami Herald, St. Petersburg Times and Orlando Sentinel, as well as blogs such as the Huffington Post, Daily Kos and Democratic Underground.
Patrick Kavanaugh, a spokesman for Obama's Florida campaign, said the Obama campaign disseminated the quotes to various media outlets.
Simmons explained his reasons for switching support in an almost 1,200-word Facebook note published Monday. He wrote he was not abandoning the Republican Party, but his vote was swayed by the "composure and consistency" shown by Obama and also by Gen. Colin Powell's endorsement.
"I neither regret my decision," he wrote, "nor all of the work I did for Sen. McCain, and do not intend this as a personal affront to anyone I have worked with over the past several months."
Simmons said in a Sunday interview that he voted Republican on the rest of his ballot.
Comments left on Simmons's Facebook note express both support and anger at his decision.
"Imagine the embarrassment all of us as an organization had when reading that our leader publicly stood for everything we are against," wrote Logan Benson, a UF student.
Bryan Griffin, chairman of UF College Republicans, said Simmons had never been elected or appointed to the position, but acted as a volunteer.
Instead, Griffin said he is the real chairman of the group, which he called an offshoot of the UF College Republicans.
He said Gators for McCain would be disbanded Wednesday because of the election.
Griffin said he was asked by the McCain campaign to become chairman months ago and said Simmons has not been an active member.
He said it is possible Simmons wanted to create publicity by stating his support for Obama while chairman of a McCain group.
Griffin's statements were supported by Harout Famra, state chairman of Students for John McCain and College Republicans.
"(Josh) help set up the organization, but, in terms of actual involvement and work, Bryan has been the main guy," Famra said.
However, according to the UF Center for Student Activities and Involvement Web site, which lists information for student organizations, Simmons is listed as president of Students for John McCain, another name for Gators for McCain.
Regardless of whether Simmons was the chairman of the group, his decision has made some happy.
"I was glad to hear it, of course," said Garrett Garner, co-coordinator of UF's Students for Barack Obama. "It definitely took some courage."
Alligator writer Lauren Baker contributed to this report.
