In Victory, Magnanimity: The Miami-Dade GOP’s Missed Opportunity – JP
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The recent Miami-Dade County Republican Executive Committee (REC) meeting showcased a stark departure from Winston Churchill’s famous quote, “In victory, magnanimity.” The election of Vice Chairman Kevin Cooper as the new Miami-Dade REC Chairman for the next two-year term highlighted the deep divisions within the local Republican Party.
The Miami-Dade REC is split into two distinct factions: the mainstream group led by Cooper and the America First/Election Integrity group known as the Election Integrity Brigade represented by Sunny Isles Councilman Jerry Josef in the Chairman’s race. The Brigade is fashioned after the freedom fighters who valiantly fought to free Cuba from Castro and communism just over six decades ago. Cooper’s group has ridden the coattails of Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis, claiming victory for the Republican Party in Miami-Dade County by touting a 55% win in the 2024 presidential election and increases in Republican registrations. Cooper even went so far as to co-opt President Trump’s “Fight, Fight, Fight” moniker in his speech. However, many diligent Republicans who worked hard for President Trump’s 47th presidential victory felt that Cooper’s attempt to take credit was a bridge too far.
Newly re-elected Sunny Isles Commissioner Jerry Joseph, who ran for REC Chairman versus Cooper, also discussed how the REC under Cooper and Rizzo selectively helped local Republican candidates and paid lip service to many campaigns without assistance. In some cases, they even promised assistance but did nothing, as was the case in Miami-Dade School Board District 9 and Miami-Dade School Board District 3, where both candidates were left hanging in the breeze by the REC.
Next, Vice Chairman candidate and previous Congressional Candidate Frank Polo pointed out that the sweeping election victories in Dade County were not the result of local efforts but rather the efforts of presidential candidate and now President-Elect Trump, who worked tirelessly and heroically against all odds—physical, legal, and spiritual—to come away with an against-all-odds victory. Trump’s providential re-election is why Cooper’s group was able to stand at the podium last night.
However, the coup de grâce from last night’s meeting was after newly elected Chairman Cooper made his first actions at the podium. The nominated candidate for Secretary, former City of Miami Council candidate Christi Tasker, was seconded, and he immediately stepped up and pointed out that Tasker had recently been convicted of a misdemeanor. This statement was entirely unjustifiable and NOT magnanimous. Tasker stood her ground and explained herself as a person seeking justice in the City of Miami. Cooper and the REC from 2022/23 specifically ignored the Tasker campaign for the City of Miami Counsel seat, and the bad blood shown quite clearly. The crowd, even his supporters, called out loudly that Cooper should let her run, and he backed down. This action bodes poorly for his future as the Chairman of the REC, as it also correlates with his actions last year as Vice Chairman, where he removed members from the quorum to avoid motions regarding issues such as having open slots and members’ names listed publicly to fill slots and have regularly scheduled and publicly scheduled open REC meetings. This action speaks much louder than his words.
Candidate Tasker nobly and valiantly stated her position and stepped down from her candidacy for Secretary of the Miami-Dade REC. However, the stain on the new Chairman’s term remains. It is hoped that this will not damage efforts to continue registering new Republicans, particularly those non-party-affiliated voters who did vote for Trump and were the reason why Miami-Dade County was red in the 2024 election cycle.
Concurrently, the author has learned that entry was restricted to many duly elected REC committeemen and women due to a purported paperwork “oversight” which requires an oath of office to be submitted to the Supervisor of Elections no later than 30 days after their election following this last Augusts’ primary. It is suspiciously damning that those barred for this oversight were all Election Integrity Brigade members who never received any notification of this responsibility from the Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee. One such person is Hialeah Councilwoman Angelica Xenes-Pacheco, who posted on Facebook Live that she was being barred from the REC election process. This process is a convenient tactic to limit membership to only those who will follow the Party line. No dissenters need to apply. https://www.facebook.com/stories/10206612089538868/UzpfSVNDOjE0NzI1MTQ2ODM0MjY4MzA=/?bucket_count=9&source=story_tray
It is worth noting that there are 160 voting members of the Miami-Dade REC, and at this election last night, there were only approximately 90 votes from committee members, indicating approximately 70 open voting seats available. The next meeting the REC holds, possibly in January, will likely include an election for members to fill those positions. We would invite and recommend that any Republicans who have been registered as Republicans for the last 365 days in Miami-Dade County and are willing to serve on the REC look for this meeting, plan to attend, and also reach out to either Ed Vidal or Douglas Ross at https://www.electionbrigade.com/ to get details.
We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the other victorious candidates elected at the 12/09/24 Miami-Dade County REC meeting. Vice Chairman Luis Rodriguez, Treasurer Stephanie Torres, and Secretary Abel Carvajal. We hope their terms will be fruitful for the citizens of Miami-Dade County.
In light of these events, the Miami-Dade GOP must reflect on Churchill’s words and strive for magnanimity in victory. By embracing unity, transparency, and fairness, the local Republican Party can build upon its recent successes and foster an inclusive environment that welcomes all who share its values and principles. Only through generosity, kindness, and openness can the Miami-Dade REC truly honor the legacy of President Trump and continue to make strides in one of the nation’s most pivotal political battlegrounds.