A.G. Gancarski
The internecine battles continue in the Republican Party of Duval County. The latest involves the county chair looking to purge the statewide chair of the Young Republicans.
County chair Karyn Morton wrote Florida Federation of Young Republicans chair Robbie Foster March 3, informing him of a motion to vote him out March 19.
The cause: “highly disruptive outbursts” at the January meeting of the Duval County Republican Executive Committee. These were, per Morton, “the culmination of a pattern of disruptions over the past year … very loud outbursts and vulgar language … erratic behavior” that “frightened” REC stalwarts.
Morton offered Foster the chance to “avoid further embarassment” by resigning before the March meeting.
Foster has no intention of resigning, he told Florida Politics on Tuesday afternoon.
In fact, he sees the putsch as symbolic of a deeper issue with Morton’s leadership.
“With ever increasing news stories about how much the GOP has an uphill battle in front of us with the 2018 elections, it’s unbelievable that this is the nonsense that Chair Karyn Morton chooses to spend the Duval GOP’s time and efforts on,” Foster asserted.
“Not on defeating Bill Nelson. Not on electing a Republican Governor. Not on defending three open cabinet seats. No. Karyn is dedicating her efforts to expel someone who first joined in the REC in 2008. Someone who has been volunteering for the rec for a decade. Someone who also happens to be the Chairman of the Florida Young Republicans.”
“Way to court the youth vote, Karyn,” Foster quipped.
Foster went on to say Morton was “running the party into the ground.”
“Being REC chair of such a large and strategically important city such as Jacksonville is an awesome responsibility. I’ve seen some amazing people lead the party successfully. Since Karyn became chair she has demonstrated she is not up to the task. She has driven the party into the ground. Driven away donors so necessary to our grassroots efforts and driven away so many volunteers necessary to execute those grassroots efforts,” Foster said.
“And now she’s trying to expel someone who hasn’t left. Who has stayed because I hate to see an organization I’ve dedicated a decade of my life to fall apart and go from powerhouse to irrelevant at best and a joke at worst,” Foster added.
We await comment from the Duval GOP.
7 comments
SSDD
March 7, 2018 at 7:24 am
This behavior is unbecoming of the Chair of the Duval REC. Since her hostile takeover Karyn has driven out decades worth of REC leadership as long time members have run for the hills. Tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars have dried up as donors view her as a joke whose calls they send to voicemail. She has implemented new rules to try to make it harder for old members to ever come back, and has discouraged her remaining sycophants from recruiting new members. The REC will have no money to help any GOP candidates this cycle.
Karyn wants to rule unquestioned over a small brain dead group, who never question what Madam Ruler says. This is very sad, because there are tens of thousands of Republicans in Jacksonville who don’t know what the REC is. They just trust that while they are hard at work and raising families that there should be a Republican Party out there who represents them. It’s a shame that so long as Karyn and her cabal of blind followers rule, the Republican Party will continue to be a withering shell of what it once was. As our President would say, that is SAD!
Karyn, Please resign
March 7, 2018 at 9:08 am
Karyns term as Chair has been the biggest disaster the local GOP has seen in decades. While the local Democrat Party is also inept, having Karyn preside over the REC is the gift that keeps on giving for the local Democrats. The membership is way down and the party is near bankrupt. Her legacy will be presiding over meetings where she speaks to empty chairs, and managing an empty bank account.
Anonymous
March 7, 2018 at 10:27 am
I don’t trust either one. Robbie has a long history of strange and unprofessional behavior and Karyn is undoubtedly ill-equipped for her role. Perhaps they should both resign.
Matthew L. Killen
March 7, 2018 at 10:48 am
Trump = division, if the GOP wants their power back, they need to impeach Trump for the litany of crimes he has committed in broad daylight. If you can’t stand up to Trump’s corruption, you can’t stand up to your chair’s corruption. #MakeTheGOPDecentishAgain and collectively stand against indecency.
Former member
March 8, 2018 at 9:08 am
I don’t like to see dirty laundry aired in public, but I’m hoping that some of the good people left in the REC see all of this and do something to stop her.
I’m a former member who left because of Karyn. I’d love to come back, but so long as she is there I don’t feel comfortable. She is very controlling and mean spirited.
To the good people left, look around at the small numbers in the room. You will see the empty chairs of your friends and former members who love this party as much as you do. We can’t wait to come back and work in the trenches next to you, but until this woman is gone, we simply can’t.
Alise Morris
March 8, 2018 at 9:16 pm
Time for Karyn to resign. She’s run the majority of the young REC members off, including myself. Robbie has been an incredible influence in our young republican community- yet we force him out? Why does that make sense? The Duval REC will never make it under Karyn’s faulty leadership. Young republicans are staying far away from this hostile group!!
REC volunteer
March 9, 2018 at 7:13 pm
Robbie’s flaws may well be self destructive, but Karyns are destroying the party. Gee, I wonder which one should resign?
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