A group of Winter Park Republican women Thursday met at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office to change their voter affiliation to independent. Their action, they said, was fueled by anger over the county party's involvement in the non-partisan race for mayor.
This wasn't the first internal dispute over the election, as several members of the Winter Park Republican Women club, including two board members, have resigned over the group's endorsement of Mayor-elect Steve Leary over his opponent, Cynthia Mackinnon.
Orange County Republican Executive Committee Chairman Lew Oliver said that it's the organization's directive to support a Republican in any election against a Democrat, even in non-partisan races where party identity isn't listed and candidates can't identify their parties.
Party mailers, entitled "Republican Alert," stated that Mackinnon supported President Barack Obama in the 2012 election and showed Obama making a "shhh" gesture.
"We've always had nonpartisan elections," said Mimi Dickinson, one of 10 women who changed their affiliation Thursday. "Nobody asks anyone their voting record or party affiliation. [The party] just did it because they felt there were more Republicans than Democrats in Winter Park and they could get elected at any price."
Nancy Miles, a mayoral candidate in 2012, said she's been a lifelong Republican but was changing her registration "because what they did was disgusting, not only in this past election but because of the sea change this brought on. There may never be another nonpartisan race in Winter Park."
Miles, who supported Mackinnon, was one of four members who resigned from the Winter Park Republican Women club over the election, including board members Bonnie Jackson and Cindy Schuerman.
Jackson, who did not change her party affiliation, said the club did not endorse her in her commission race against Leary, nor Miles in her race, but endorsed Leary this year.
"My club didn't support [us], but Steve Leary, who is not a member of the club suddenly the president of the club endorses him?" Jackson said. "For what reason?
"The most important mission of that group is to help women, she said. "We are such a small representation of government. I'm not a quota person I don't think whatever the population percentage is, the (representation) should be but it's so far out of whack."
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Republican women, angry over Winter Park race, leave party