Clearly the fight over the government shutdown is not over for one Tea Party group.

The Tea Party Leadership Fund has created a “Primaries for Traitors” fund aimed at raising money and recruiting candidates nationwide to run against Republicans who voted to re-open the government in mid-October.

Among their targets: U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key.

“Eighty-seven — that's the number of Republican traitors, including Speaker Boehner, who collapsed once again under Obama's lame duck presidency. Help us fund primaries to oust those who caved,” the group says on its web site touting their effort.

The group is not just blowing off steam either, said Dan Backer, treasurer and general counsel for the Virginia-based group.

“We are very serious about this,” Backer said.

Even though people such as Buchanan and U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Orlando, have regularly voted against funding ObamaCare, Backer said neither gets a pass this time because they essentially voted to raise the debt ceiling with no spending cuts to right the nation's financial problems.

Backer said there are people on the list his group has backed before and generally are well received by conservatives. But the vote to re-open the government was so egregious, he said, that voters deserve a chance to vote for someone else.

“We want to give voters a credible choice in each of the districts,” Backer said.

In mid-October, six Republicans in Florida joined with 81 other Republicans in Congress in voting to re-open the government and raise the nation's borrowing limit.

Buchanan, first elected in 2006, said in an interview on Friday that he's not going to let any groups on the right or left bully him into making votes. He said there was no way he was going to let the U.S. default on its debts.

“I do what I think is right for out district,” Buchanan said.

No Republicans had filed to challenge Buchanan in 2014 as of Friday. Bradenton's Mitch Mallett is the only Democrat so far to file to challenge Buchanan.

Backer would not name any specific Republican candidates in any of the Florida districts, but assured his group is working through a “stack of candidates” that they could support.

Backer said the group has four priority seats in Florida they are aiming for. Besides Buchanan and Webster, Backer said he wants opponents against Reps. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, and Ander Crenshaw, R-Jacksonville.

The Tea Party Leadership Fund has a history of supporting conservative candidates. In 2012, the group spent nearly $1 million supporting candidates, including Tea Party favorites Michele Bachmann in Minnesota, Paul Ryan in Wisconsin and Allen West in Florida, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign spending in Congress.

Ramirez files

Siesta Key neighborhood activist Lourdes Ramirez has made official what most local GOP officials have been expecting for months.

She's running for the County Commission.

“Sarasota County has a lot to offer, but it will take the style of leadership that is forward thinking to maximize opportunities while ensuring taxpayer dollars are invested and spent wisely,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez said she wants to bring more balance to the development and environmental needs in the community. She said she's for reasonable development, but worries about Sarasota County allowing too much urban sprawl.

Ramirez, a New York native, has lived in Sarasota for 14 years. Ramirez was a marketer and consultant in the semi-conductor industry and believes that background will help give her insights into how to lure more high-tech jobs to Sarasota.

Ramirez, a Republican, is seeking to replace current commissioner Nora Patterson, who is not running for re-election.

Ramirez is the second candidate to enter the race. Earlier this year Alan Maio, vice president of design and engineering firm Kimley-Horn, filed to run for the seat.

More politics

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Area political events

Monday

• Downtown developer and businessman Jesse Biter will be part of a panel discussion about the county's 2050 land use plan before the Sarasota Council of Neighborhood Associations at 7 p.m. at Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Blvd. of the Arts, Sarasota.

Wednesday

• State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, a long-time legislative leader on children's issues, speaks about new foster care laws at the Children's Guardian Fund's 15th Annual Fall Luncheon at Michael's on East, 1212 East Ave. S., Sarasota. The meeting begins at noon. Cost is $75 per person.

• Tina Steele of the Sarasota Commission on the Status of Women speaks at the Sarasota Democratic Party's monthly meeting about the homelessness crisis in Sarasota. The meeting will be a tribute to longtime party activist Pat Liebert, who died earlier this month. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Waldemere Fire Station, 2070 Waldemere St., Sarasota.

• The Republican Club of South Sarasota County meets at noon to discuss The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare. Julio Gonzalez, Republican candidate for State House District 74, will speak to the group. Gonzalez is a doctor running for the district, which includes Venice and North Port. The group meets at Venice Gardens Civic Association, 406 Shamrock Blvd., Venice.

Thursday

• The Republican Executive Committee of Sarasota County meets at 7 p.m. at the party's new headquarters at 1262 S. Tamiami Trail in the South Bay Shopping Center, adjacent to the former headquarters.

Friday

• Homelessness expert Robert Marbut speaks to the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Community Foundation, 2635 Fruitville Road, Sarasota. Cost is $10 and reservations, needed by Wednesday, can be made by emailing lwvsc@verizon.net or calling (941) 925-2970.

Saturday

• Former Venice Mayor Ed Martin speaks to the Venice Area Democratic Club about the origins of special education. The meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. at the United Church of Christ, 620 Shamrock Blvd. Venice. For more information, call (941) 492-5965.

• The Manatee/Sarasota Democratic Black Caucus holds a town hall style-meeting to discuss how the “stand your ground” law may be abused and other issues. The event is part of a statewide series of town halls called “Florida Speaks” organized by the Florida State Democratic Black Caucus to collect testimony that will be passed on to state lawmakers, the governor and the Florida Cabinet. The event is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. at 2826 Leonard Reid Ave., Sarasota