The Miami-Dade Republican Party chair, Kevin Cooper, with President Donald Trump.
I never set out to be a thorn in the side of my political party. When I went to work in the Republican Party, I chose it because I believed in its core values: limited government, individual responsibility, fiscal conservatism and equality of opportunity.
Somewhere along the way, the GOP has veered off course.
This week, however, the Miami-Dade County GOP showed what it looks like to begin correcting course.
Leaked text messages, reported by the Miami Herald about two weeks ago, exposed antisemitic and racist rhetoric involving Florida International University students and the secretary of the Miami-Dade Republican Party. The response was strong. Miami-Dade County Republican Party Chairman Kevin Cooper said “anyone associated with this chat should resign immediately.” And on Monday, Abel Carvajal, the county party secretary who started the chat and is a third year law student at FIU, stepped down from his party role.
Carvajal has said he didn’t post or see the most offensive content, the Miami Herald reported. He is also suing FIU and its president, Jeanette Nuñez, over the leaked group chat, seeking to block student misconduct charges that he said violated his First Amendment rights.
On Monday, Cooper again made clear that antisemitism and racism have no place in the party: “Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.” That seems like it shouldn’t have to be said, yet here we are.
Cooper’s response was more than damage control. It was a necessary line in the sand — a reminder that the Republican Party’s strength has always come from building broad coalitions rooted in freedom and respect for the individual. And it’s also the right thing to do: The chat was appalling and must be fully repudiated by the GOP and by FIU.
The resignation and Cooper’s words are steps in the right direction, but the finish line is still a long way off.
Miami-Dade Republicans may have taken some actions to hold themselves accountable, but the state party must follow suit. That’s what they’re doing in California. Earlier this year, the California GOP issued a formal memo warning party leadership about a white nationalist movement attempting to infiltrate the party — not to win elections, but to take over the party infrastructure from within.
The California GOP — like Cooper — didn’t mince words. The memo named Nick Fuentes, an online influencer who has praised Hitler and called for Republicans to not vote in the 2026 midterms. The memo called on local county leadership to review its bylaws, vet candidates more rigorously and refuse to recruit or endorse anyone who aligns with this ideology.
That’s what a zero tolerance policy looks like.
This isn’t about purity tests; it’s about party survival. Extremists don’t need to win elections to do damage — they only need to gain a foothold.
The Republican Party of Florida must apply the same standard. It has a ticking time bomb on its hands with Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback, whose rhetoric is similar to the fringe impulses the party should be rejecting.
Fishback has made headlines and headway with his rhetoric, but he should have no place in Republican political discourse or a race to be Florida’s next governor. His candidacy isn’t just controversial — it’s a warning sign, one I’ve seen the GOP ignore before.
And the answer can’t be silence. Silence is how we got here.
For years, I’ve watched Republican leaders — some of whom I’ve worked alongside — wring their hands in private while publicly looking the other way. Every time the GOP refused to draw a clear line, more damage was done. And now we’re faced with leaked messages from current and future party leaders that would make the Gipper weep.
The Republican Party I grew up in was about dignity of the individual, the promise that hard work leads to success and the belief that America’s diversity is a feature, not a bug. The GOP can’t champion individual liberty while allowing members to dehumanize their neighbors. Those two things are incompatible — morally and politically.
Miami-Dade Republicans took an important first step. California Republicans offered a roadmap. Now, the Florida GOP must decide whether it is willing to act.
That means calling out extremism without hesitation, including in a gubernatorial primary.
The GOP is worth fighting for. But reclaiming it will require more than statements. It requires leaders willing to confront bad actors, reject conspiracy-driven rhetoric and restore the principles that once defined the party.
The path forward is clear. The question is whether the Republican Party of Florida has the courage to follow it.
Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: mmancuso@miamiherald.com