Republican officials from 16 counties are calling for the immediate removal of Allen West from the chairmanship of the state GOP. West announced on Sunday that he’s running for governor, prompting the county officials to send a letter on Tuesday to members of the State Republican Executive Committee. They pointed out that the party’s bylaws forbid anybody from serving as the party leader while running for statewide office. West announced his resignation last month, but it won’t take effect until this coming Sunday.