ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A political flyer circulating in St. Johns County is drawing criticism from Congressman John Rutherford and the Republican Party of Florida just days after three local political figures were charged in connection with an alleged fake Republican voter guide from the 2024 election season.
The flyer is titled “SJC Republican Endorsed Candidates” and promotes candidates endorsed by the St. Johns County Republican Assembly. The assembly is a separate organization from the St. Johns County Republican Party, which is affiliated with the Florida GOP.
Rutherford said he believes the flyer could mislead voters into thinking it reflects official Republican Party endorsements.
“St. Johns County voters are going to be faced with a misleading so-called voter guide,” Rutherford told News4JAX. “The reason I say that is at the very top, it says ‘SJC Republican endorsed candidates.’”
Rutherford said he was concerned voters would again face confusion similar to the controversy surrounding the 2024 voter guide case.
Last week, two sitting St. Johns County commissioners and the former mayor of St. Augustine Beach were charged in connection with an alleged fake Republican voter guide distributed during the 2024 election cycle.
“I just think it’s sad that the voters are going to have to go through this again, being misled by another group,” Rutherford said.
News4JAX shared a copy of the current flyer with the Florida GOP. Chairman Evan Power said in a statement that the assembly is not authorized by the state party and that the mailer “appears to have violated the law.”
“The Republican Party of Florida takes voter guides and the misuse of its name seriously,” Power said. “We look forward to using all options to bring accountability for this mailer.”
President of the St. Johns County Assembly Jacqueline LeBlanc defended the flyer and said her organization hasn’t done anything wrong.
“Our chapter, our local chapter, has every right to endorse candidates,” LeBlanc said.
She said the flyer repeatedly identifies the St. Johns County Republican Assembly and does not attempt to hide its origin.
“If you look at that endorsement guide, the assembly is mentioned and disclosed on that guide about 11 times,” LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc said the assembly promotes what it describes as traditional Republican values, including fiscal conservatism, voter integrity, parental rights and medical freedom, and she described the organization as a “bottoms-up organization” that differs from the broader GOP structure.
Responding to accusations that the group is improperly using the Republican name, LeBlanc said the assembly’s intentions are straightforward.
“We’re not doing anything nefarious here,” she said. “We’re a good, honest Republican organization trying to support good, local candidates.”
LeBlanc also said the group’s goal is not to mislead voters.
“Of course not. Not in the least,” she said.
LeBlanc said the flyer has only been distributed locally and has not been mailed to voters.
The official St. Johns County Republican Party said it has not issued any local endorsements during the current election cycle.