A dispute over the seemingly absurd claim that the Republican Party owns the word “Republican” is growing into a major rift.
That is something the party does not need with a critical election on the horizon.
Local Republicans who had relatively minor disagreements with some of the procedures of the state’s GOP leaders formed the Duval County Republican Assembly. There is also a state level assembly and other chapters in various other counties.
But then the Assembly got a “cease and desist” letter from the Republican Party of Florida asserting that the Assembly could not use the word “Republican” because the state party had registered it in 1990 and it violates section 103.081(2) of the Florida Statutes. No person or group of persons shall use the name, abbreviation, or symbol of any political party, the name, abbreviation, or symbol of which is filed with the Department of State, in connection with any club, group, association, or organization of any kind unless approved by the party.
However, in 1999, that novel idea was tested in Circuit Court in Duval County and the judge ruled it did not apply in the case of a Democrat running for office who ran ads saying he was supported by some “Republican leaders.”
Nevertheless, the local organization changed its name to Duval County Assembly of Republican Voters and modified its Facebook page.
Doubling down, the RPOF ruled that anybody belonging to a county’s Republican Executive Committee could not also belong to an unapproved organization.
Robin Lumb, head of the Duval Assembly, is furious. He said it amounts to a “purge.”
“They want hegemonic control of Republican politics in Florida,” Lumb said.
“For the record, we have never claimed to be affiliated with the Republican Party of Florida nor do we want to be. In an age when most conservative Republicans and Trump supporters are suspicious of the institutional Republican Party, we prefer to maintain our independent status.”
At the heart of this flap is a seemingly minor dispute over endorsing candidates in primary elections. The RPOF does not. The assemblies do.
They don’t endorse Democrats, only Republicans. And they support the winner of the Republican primary. But the state party bosses don’t like it.
The only people who can be enjoying this dustup are members of the Democrat Party.
