Florida County REC Elections Results, Continued

America First Republicans Continue to Demolish Strongholds- an FNR editorial

In our December 11th editorial, Florida News Report addressed the election results of the December Republican Executive Committees up to that date. To recap, here are the results of counties that flipped to America First Republicans:

Alachua
Bay (AF retained control)
Collier
Charlotte
Seminole
Miami-Dade
Lee
Hillsborough (AF retained control of entire board with new AF Republicans)
(FNR needs additional confirmation about Broward and Palm Beach)

FNR currently has no information about Volusia County election results.

The good news continued as Lake County, Orange County and Santa Rosa County all flipped within the last ten days to America First leadership, ousting the Republican Establishment. 

Lake County REC’s election brought a double portion of hope as former Florida House Rep, Anthony Sabatini, was voted in as Chairman….. Immediately qualified him to run for Republican Party of Florida Chairman…..

MIC DROP.

Rumored pay-to-play media, Florida Politics, immediately churned out a hit piece article against Sabatini, who was also appointed General Legal Counsel for the Lee County Republican Executive Committee’s by new America First Chair, Michael Thompson. Peter Schorsch, a gun control liberal, who owns Florida Politics was the author of the article, is a Democrat donor and hates all things DeSantis favoring Charlie Crist for the 2022 gubernatorial race. Read more here

And here and finally, here 

The RPOF election was originally scheduled for the first quarterly meeting in January, but the meeting was pushed back to February 16th-17th in Orlando, so the current Chairman, Joe Gruters could remain Chair to be qualified to run in February for RNC Treasurer. Gruters made a public statement saying he was looking forward to working with Ronna McDaniels, signaling his national Republican Establishment allegiance. You’ve likely already become acquainted with the RPOF Chair’s work, but if not, Read here

 The Florida Republican Establishment headed by Gruters has lost its grip on several counties over the last two weeks. However two counties, both of which are in lockstep with Gruters’ directives, were able to (barely) prevail over the America First candidates. 

First, Sarasota County. If you didn’t read our article covering the Sarasota REC election, Read here  The real lowlight of the evening was the fact that the America First Republicans were never given an acceptable explanation on how there were eight (alleged) more ballots counted than people in attendance. Sarasota is home to RPOF Chair hopeful, Christian Ziegler. 

Second, Manatee County. Current Chairman, Steve Vernon, who was voted in as Chairman in November 2021 when then Chair, Kathy King, abruptly resigned. Because of the interim election, the RPOF Rules required Vernon to run again in December 2022 which he did. Vernon, a longtime cornerstone in Republican politics in Manatee County, surprised even some of his closest friends with his behavior during REC meetings (and sometimes after meetings) during 2022.

Appearing not to care about Robert’s Rules of Order, Vernon was heavy handed, easily losing his temper with America First members who were new.

And there was another reason to challenge Vernon. Vernon had canceled the meeting for July, the month before the Republican Primary Election and then canceled the October meeting  - the month before the General Election, preventing members from being assigned roles as volunteers. At a critical time the Republican Party should be doing more - and more easily with all these new REC members, it was clear in Manatee that the local Republican Party would rather roll the dice and hope for the best than actually do anything.  

And out of nowhere, here comes this guy. 

Vernon’s strongest opponent was a virtual dark horse in the race for Chair, Mike Keegan. Keegan apparently was fed up with the way the meetings were run in the two meetings he attended between January and May. He seemed to have a firm understanding of how parliamentary rules were to be used during meetings while it appeared that Vernon just ignored any corrections. 

As it turned out, Keegan at least gave Steve Vernon a run for his money.  How does someone so well connected in Manatee County nearly get beat by an unknown? Can you imagine what will happen at the next Manatee REC election in 2024?

Ouch. That one’s gonna hurt. 

Time will only strengthen the America First Republicans within each REC. 

Onto the good news…. Sharon Regan won Chair in Santa Rosa County and the entire slate of America First candidates won in ORANGE county. In St. John’s County, at least one of the America First candidates won and had you known what a bloody battlefield SJC was, you would know what a miracle that was just to get one AF candidate onboard. 

We could not be happier that there were so many America First candidates who were willing to challenge the Republican Establishment in Florida. That’s what it is going to take - America First Patriots like us who will no longer sit on the sidelines while the Republican Party continues to morph into the Democrat Party and our children’s future is sold to the highest bidder.  

America is worth the struggle and so is the Republican Party Platform.

Florida News Report is on Twitter @FlNewsReport