A long-simmering feud within the local Republican Executive Committee boiled over at a recent meeting, then found its way to Facebook, revealing a divide over the party’s leadership and direction that reflects the similar rift in the national GOP between ardent supporters of Donald Trump’s MAGA movement and more moderate Republicans.
Friction has been mounting for months within the Monroe County Republican Executive Committee. Rhonda Rebman Lopez, a MAGA Republican, chairs the committee with similarly aligned board members. Committee members represent both groups.
The infighting has intensified since May, when the REC board held a vote to endorse its treasurer Sherri Hodies for supervisor of elections without mentioning the option of endorsing the other Republican candidate in the primary, Margaret Romero, who was not then an REC member. Several members objected, saying the vote to endorse fell short of the 60% or two-thirds approval required by the bylaws. Additionally, several members opposed the committee’s unprecedented endorsement of a candidate in a primary that included another Republican.
Complaints sent to the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) prompted Lopez to ask the state party’s leadership for clarification. The state party acknowledged that primary endorsements were permitted.
When the Keys Weekly asked Lopez this week what the RPOF had said about the 60% vote requirement, she said, “The vote tallies were taken to the highest levels of the RPOF, by me, and they told me, as chairman, to make the call.”
Hodies’ endorsement stood. It came with a $20,000 campaign donation from the REC and she defeated Romero in the Aug. 20 primary. Hodies faces Democrat Ron Saunders in the November general election. Some REC members have drawn the ire of Lopez and others because they personally and publicly endorsed Romero over Hodies in the primary. Some have also quietly signaled their support for Saunders over the Republican Hodies in the November election.
Dissent continued within the committee over the summer when Lopez reportedly canceled scheduled meetings, or closed them at the last minute to anyone except active members.
Committee meetings are closed to the public, but the bylaws state that they allow, “guests who are vouched for and accompanied by an REC member; elected Republican officials whose district encompasses Monroe County; registered candidates for an office in a district encompassing Monroe County;” invited speakers; members of local Republican clubs; members of RECs outside Monroe County and state party officers. The bylaws do not distinguish between a regular meeting and a closed meeting other than to note that all meetings are closed to the public.
Contentious meeting
Jill Cranney-Black is a Republican elected official whose district includes Monroe County. She has been a mosquito control commissioner for 12 years and made plans to attend the Sept. 21 REC meeting in Islamorada, along with two other local Republicans, non-REC members, who were guests of and sponsored by an REC member. Things did not go smoothly.
Cranney-Black told the Keys Weekly after the meeting:
“Saturday, I attended the REC meeting … to witness reported division between the leadership and the members ….I’d been told the current chair closes meetings last minute, which suppresses membership for Republicans who want to assist in the mission of getting qualified Republicans into office. I’d also been told she was not following rules that are set in place for a reason. I found her to be rude, dismissive, unprofessional and frivolous when speaking with her. I was essentially thrown out of the meeting by the chair for asking a simple question and having an opinion that didn’t align with hers. …My concerns were unfortunately confirmed.
“Current REC members and my fellow elected officials have done everything in their power to keep the discontent of the local REC leadership issues in house and a private matter. In these times, more than ever, we need to be united as a party. Under the current local leadership of the REC, the exact opposite seems to be happening and division seems to be occurring.”
Cranney-Black posted a similar summary of her experience at the meeting on Facebook, prompting a war of words that continued for several days. Here’s a selection of comments following her Facebook post:
“I witnessed the events firsthand. What Jill stated was an accurate account of what took place. There is more to come where a member was verbally accosted and had her personal space violated. The temperament and actions of the chair and some particular board members were an embarrassment, not just to a political party, but as human beings. This little piece of power that is currently retained will be short lived. Time to take the executive committee back and put it in the hands of reasonable and sane people. Jill, we appreciate your moral courage and honesty. We got your back and the backs of those members who seek change. — Jonathan Crane
“As a member of the REC, I witnessed Rhonda Lopez’ attack on Jill and it was horrible. There was an Agenda item which called for Elected Officials to talk but, without any authority, Rhonda confronted and evicted Jill (who is an elected official). Rhonda acted crazed and after her 20+ minute attack on Jill, she came into the meeting room, still yelling and slamming her shoe on the table. She insulted Commissioner Jim Scholl and Commissioner Lincoln. Jill handled herself like the professional she is. But Rhonda Lopez lacks maturity, integrity and professionalism; she has become an embarrassment to the organization. When I voted against the endorsement and campaign contribution for Sherri Hodies, I explained that my reasoning was because it violated the RPOF Rule 8. That caused Rhonda to alienate me and Stephen Hammond and tap candidates Bethany Bartlett and Michael Washam to run against us for State Committee. We will find a way to restore the Monroe County REC to the wonderful organization it once was. Rhonda dug her hole and now the walls are caving in.” — Kathy White Ovide
“So the local republican party has adopted the policies of the national party. Very sad. I am so proud to have left the Republican party after being a Republican for 40 plus years.” — Robert Cintron
“The REC is not all bad, I would estimate it’s less than 50% and most are on the board. I attended my first meeting at the request of several members that want new leadership. Based on my personal experience, I totally agree that it is desperately needed. The current leadership has caused a major rift in the party. — Kevin Talbott
“When you are part of the ‘fake Republicans’ that actually endorse and support Democratic candidates, maybe you shouldn’t be speaking on corruption in our Republican Executive Committee. … This is the catalyst for ALL the drama in our Republican executive committee. You have taken no interest in our REC, but showed up Saturday because you were most likely sought by those ‘Republicans in name only’ to bring more drama to the Republican executive committee and then acted like a victim when our Chair said ‘hell no.’ The true corruption in our local party are those poisoning the well, to get a democrat elected…Just an observation but playing the victim is not a very conservative value. It’s a tell-tale leftist play. There are wolves in sheeps clothing infiltrating our Monroe county Republican Party. — Stand With Bethany
“There is nothing wrong with voting your conscience if you believe the far better candidate happens to be a Democrat. Blind allegiance to a party if foolish. It certainly does not warrant the unprofessional, nasty behavior we are seeing. … Why was Sherri endorsed over Romero against party rules? Why wasn’t she ethical enough to return the $10,000? Why is she hosting a fundraiser for a known election denier who has no proof of any fraud?” — Steve Tepper, replying to Stand with Bethany.
“When an election denier runs for the office overseeing elections, people will see the truth and vote with their conscience, not along party lines. Personally, I don’t think this job should be partisan as election integrity is important to us all. I’m not sure how long you’ve lived in the Keys, or know the history Ron Saunders has here, but you may need to look into that a bit. He’s the person for the job, no matter his party affiliation. The fact that you continue to push party-line voting only is shameful, and a real problem with our current political climate. Your attempts to belittle Jill and demean Ron are showing your own lack of integrity,” — Julie Brown, replying to Stand with Bethany
“As an American, many of us see parties as groups of like minded people supporting a political goal. They have a structure to serve their members. The board serves the members. This party changed massively into conspiracy and pretend victimization in my humble opinion. If this is what the present leadership calls real Republicans, many of us part ways with the party. The support of one primary Republican over another was not we the people. It was a power trip. Listening to the rants on cherry picked and twisted truths is not for many. I respect that we differ, as I have supported Americans who are not the sad tabloid folk. My candidates are both republicans and democrats this election season. I support those elected to represent us who stand up for those they serve, not this mess I see. — Jack Norris, replying to Stand with Bethany
When asked about the incident with Cranney-Black at the Sept. 21 meeting, Lopez told the Keys Weekly on Sept. 24, “Only statewide legislative officials are allowed into closed meetings, along with inducted REC members. My son graduated from Yale Law; I know my stuff. I closed the meeting because we had things to discuss — some financial matters and confidential strategies.”
The REC bylaws, under the heading, “Guests and Invitees,” do not make any distinction between a closed meeting and a regular meeting.
Lopez said more about the meeting in a text message to REC members after the Sept. 21 meeting, writing:
“Mosquito Board Jill with her high school education was a disgrace interrupting our closed meeting yesterday. I can’t believe my tax dollars pay her & many of the other public officials, but here we are. She would have had an argument to stay if she hadn’t come in insulting the Chair by saying I wasn’t an elected official & she was & that I tried to be. That insult was met w/my response that I own a multi-million dollar company and that I don’t need the taxpayer money to pay my insurance or salaries like she & many of the others do. She also screamed at Sherri (Hodies) telling her she was going to lose. RPOF knows ALL of this and more. And for those texting during the meeting slandering Sherri & myself — someone was over your shoulder reading & committing to memory each & every text. I know so much more & seen the proof in texts that I’m just like WoW! And, there’s a recording that blew my mind. Unbeknownst, there was a mole in the group.”
(Note: Cranney-Black has a master’s degree in business administration and has worked for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office as executive director of finance for 11 years.)
