Jesse Scheckner
Keys Republicans are keeping Rhonda Rebman Lopez as their leader and elevating a slate of candidates she backed for other top county party roles.
The Republican Party of Monroe County just re-elected Lopez to Chair its Executive Board by a two-thirds margin, a press note from the organization said.
Party members also elected Tim Urbanski as Vice Chair, Bettye Chaplin as Secretary and Henry Stark as Treasurer.
Former Monroe GOP Committeewoman Kathy Ovide challenged Lopez and Urbanksi for the Chair and Vice Chair posts, Lopez told Florida Politics.
Chaplin and Stark won unopposed.
Lopez, 60, credited her Wednesday win to her strong performance as a fundraiser. This election cycle, she said, she was the top per-capita fundraiser in the state.
“Together, we will work tirelessly to grow our party, turn out voters, and ensure Republican victories in 2026 and beyond,” she said.
“We are committed to building on the historic Republican turnout of 2024. Monroe County Republicans made their voices heard like never before, and this new board is ready to carry that momentum forward, unify our members, and strengthen our impact in the Florida Keys.”
Urbanski, a 77-year-old Big Pine Key resident, succeeds Tonia Shusta as Vice Chair. He said in a statement that his election comes at a “pivotal time” for the GOP to unite and consolidate its power in Monroe.
“With this experienced team,” he said, “we are ready to continue making a meaningful difference.”
Chaplin, an 80-year-old real estate pro and longtime Marathon resident, replaces Jessica Prescott as Secretary.
Stark, a 60-year-old Tavernier resident and President of the Upper Keys Republican Club, takes over for Sherri Hodies, whom Monroe voters picked last month to be their new Supervisor of Elections.
Wednesday’s election had a special guest: Bill Helmich, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Florida.
He told Florida Politics he flew into the Keys that morning, met with Islamorada Rep. Jim Mooney, and then attended the vote before preparing to fly back the same day.
“It’s exciting to see Rhonda Rebman Lopez get re-elected. She had a very successful election cycle, did an incredible job fundraising and flipped the (Supervisor of Elections office) from Democrat to Republican,” he said. “The Republican Party of Florida tries whenever possible to travel to as many counties as we can to observe these elections. I drew the straw to come down to Monroe.”
The GOP holds a sizable voter lead in Florida’s southernmost county. Of 53,697 registered voters in Monroe, 46% are Republican, compared to 28% who are Democrats and 26% who belong to a third party or have no party affiliation.
Turnout in the county for the Nov. 5 election was 86%. Republicans won every race.
