Voting record catches up with City’s Vice Mayor Leanna Freeman

In a move advocated by Historic City News about 100 Republican Committeemen and women attending a regular business meeting of the St Johns County Republican Executive Committee last Thursday evening, passed a motion to remove Leanna Freeman from its official slate of candidates

Freeman is a registered Republican who faces a challenge to her seat on the St Augustine City Commission from Barbara Blonder, a professor at Flagler College and registered Democrat.  City officials are selected in non-partisan elections without having to follow restrictive closed party rules.  Local political parties can still endorse and promote their members in non-partisan elections.

“Freeman has alienated Republican voters with her left-of-center voting record,” said Precinct 207 committeeman and District 2 Chairman Luis Miguel.  “Most recently Freeman turned her back on conservative voters in the city, contradicting her own vote just two years ago, when she chose to acquiesce to demands and threats of violence from Rev. Ron Rawls, if she did not vote to remove the authentic 1879 Civil War Veterans memorial in the Plaza de la Constitución.”

Republican leaders presented the expected slate of candidates for the party members to endorse in both partisan and nonpartisan races. Freeman was listed on the original slate and was expected to receive the party’s support because she is running against a Democrat (the party typically does not become involved in races involving multiple Republicans).

Miguel told Historic City News that he could not remain silent after researching Freeman’s performance while in office as a city commissioner.  He brought forward a motion to remove Freeman from the list.  During discussion on the motion, a number of executive committee members expressed their dissatisfaction with Freeman. In addition to her voting record, some noted her failure to attend the party’s official meetings and one member reported a comment attributed to Freeman when she said that she only registered as a Republican to increase her chances of winning.

The motion was passed unanimously by the quorum in attendance.  As such, Freeman is in essence disowned by the Republican Party. She runs without the party’s support. Her name will be omitted from mailers, digital literature, and other marketing materials. Republican volunteers will refrain from promoting her candidacy in get-out-the-vote efforts.

Freeman has served on the St. Augustine City Commission since 2008. She is lead attorney at Freeman Law, LLC, in St. Augustine.