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Doral, Florida —The southernmost county in the continental United States is home to a thriving Republican Executive Committee under Chairwoman Rhonda Rebman Lopez — a sharp contrast to the situation in Miami-Dade County. (See: Democracy Dies in Sunny South Florida)
Accordingly, Monroe County Republicans have fielded two strong conservative candidates for the Tuesday, August 18 primary:
1. George Lopez for County Commission, District 2
2. Chelyn Shaw for School Board, District 5
Both candidates are running for the right reason: to serve the public, not themselves.
George Lopez
George is a veteran, small business owner, and family man. He supports Governor DeSantis’s property tax reform, noting that Monroe County collects more in property tax receipts than it needs to fund its budget. That money belongs to the taxpayers, who will put it to better use than county bureaucrats. George is a proven fiscal conservative.
He pledges to serve as County Commissioner with efficiency, transparency, and accountability. He will support essential public services, including law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and veterans. George also commits to a full audit of the County’s accounts and has already commissioned an independent report on property taxes and revenues. Citizens can review it on his website and see the case for substantial reductions in public spending.
George’s priorities include:
Expanding homestead exemptions
Lowering the high cost of property insurance
Reviewing the commercial truck-driving school in Big Pine Key
Promoting road safety
Expanding workforce housing
Ensuring transparency and accountability
(See also: his campaign Facebook post.)
George stands for fiscal responsibility, environmental stewardship, and preserving the authentic character of the Florida Keys. He will bring common-sense leadership to Monroe County.
Chelyn Shaw
Chelyn is running to break the chokehold of woke progressive technocrats on our children’s education. A 21-year resident of Key Largo, she is a mother, grandmother, and teacher with 30 years of classroom experience. She pledges to uphold conservative Christian values in service to the students and families of Monroe County.
She believes that parents — not schools or government officials — hold primary authority over their children. Schools exist to educate, not to replace families. As the saying goes in Texas: “Parents own their children, teachers are hired hands, and all others are outlaws.”
Chelyn supports directing taxpayer funding to follow the student rather than the district. She is a staunch advocate for school choice. A commonsense Christian conservative rather than a political activist, she will focus her energy on the School Board rather than seeking photo-ops in Washington.
She will demand fiscal accountability from the School Board and bring skillful stewardship to its budget. Chelyn adheres to the principles of the Heritage Foundation’s Phoenix Declaration, which calls for a patriotic return to foundational education.
Chelyn’s priorities include:
Upholding parental rights
Expanding school choice
Communicating with parents and students
Fiscal responsibility
Transparency
Support for teachers
She also holds a U.S. Coast Guard license for vessels up to 200 tons, is a certified scuba instructor, and served for many years on the volunteer fire department.
Longtime Republican activist and Florida Keys historian Bettye Chaplain supports Chelyn 100%, and is organizing opportunities for voters across the County to meet her and learn about her commitment to providing every child the best possible education.
Conclusion
The Republican Party of Monroe County has its act together. It encourages participation by ordinary citizens and successfully recruits, trains, and supports competitive candidates. Voters should support George Lopez and Chelyn Shaw on Tuesday, August 18, and during early voting.
