The Systematic Membership Rejection Practices of the Racine County GOP

According to the Republican Party of Racine’s website, “We support traditional American values and
advocate for conservative leadership in our elected officials. We encourage our diverse body of members
to form a conservative coalition that ensures our representatives advocate for “We The People.” The
Republican Party of Racine supports equal rights, justice, and opportunity for ALL people, regardless of
race, color, national origin, or sex.”
No words have ever been further from the truth.
In an effort to eliminate America First Conservative Republican voices from joining the Racine County
Republican Party (Racine GOP), the following tactics have been implemented by their board over the
previous months.
1. The Racine GOP website membership sign-up/payment portal was removed in mid-January
of this year.
According to Racine GOP Chairman, Andrew Docksey, the issue was related to “trouble” with
their website's Bloomerang payment portal. Of note is that the very same Bloomerang payment
processing feature was fully functioning on their website's “donate to the party” link. In
addition, no alternative means of membership sign-up (such as a PDF) was posted to their website
nor was it published on any of their social media platforms. Interestingly enough, the week
following the membership form/payment submission deadline to vote in this year's Racine GOP
County Caucus, the membership sign-up/payment portal reappeared in working order.
How were existing members to renew membership? The board mailed a membership
form to selected individuals on their existing membership list.
How were new members to sign-up? Per the Racine GOP website, they were instructed
to contact them via email or phone. According to numerous individuals, they received no
response to their new membership/membership renewal inquiry.
2. An unfortunate choice of words added to the Bylaws pertaining to membership eligibility.
For those that may be unaware, each Wisconsin county GOP organization must operate by basic
rules of functioning; these rules are in the form of a Constitution (outline of the organization’s
fundamental principals) and Bylaws (specific procedures for operating). According to the Racine
GOP Constitution, proposed changes to the Bylaws may be altered and are immediately effective
upon the Bylaw passing by a majority vote of the board.
○ In November of 2021, the following criteria for membership was added to the Bylaw
pertaining to the duties and responsibilities of the board's Membership Committee:

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 The subjective and ambiguous nature of the language used in the aforementioned Bylaw allows
the Membership Committee carte blanche authority to decide what sort of behavior they surmise
as “probability of illegal activity” or “highly unethical behavior” or “activity resulting in a
conflict of interest.”
3. Unscrupulous reasoning provided for the rejection of new membership/membership renewal
applications.
It's important to mention that the Racine GOP Constitution calls for the establishment of a
Credentials Committee; in essence, this committee determines if county GOP members are in
“good standing” and thus eligible to vote at the annual county caucus. The board’s Treasurer is to
be appointed to this committee; in Racine’s case, the Treasurer position is held by Michelle Vos,
wife of 63rd Assembly District Representative and Speaker of the House, Robin Vos. Mrs. Vos is
also on the Membership Committee (discussed above).
Why is this important?
■ To date, 18 people have stepped forward in frustration upon receiving a new
membership/membership renewal rejection letter from the Racine GOP.
■ Of the 18, 11 people were first time member applicants.
■ Of the 18, 7 people were denied membership renewal.
The majority of the 18 individuals denied new membership/membership renewal received a
rejection letter highlighting the portion of the Constitution listing the reason/s for membership
rejection or termination. Along with the rejection letter, their completed membership application
form was returned with a handwritten note stating, “Contribution Steen” alongside the date of
contribution (rejection letter and returned membership form examples are attached). The majority
of the 18 individuals denied new membership/membership renewal were said to be in violation of
the following:
“Member is no longer considered ‘in good standing’..... if member affiliates with,
supports, or declares a preference for a candidate of another party or candidate who is
opposed to a candidate nominated or supported by this party.”
There are several fundamental concerns with their above cited reasoning:
1. Adam Steen nearly won the primary election in August 2022 against career politician,
Robin Vos. The message from the Racine GOP couldn’t be more clear — The application
of such criteria eliminates nearly half of the conservative Republicans residing in the
63rd district who “dared” to engage in thinking and/or behavior (campaign
contributions) not consistent with the party's values. As a result, they do not belong.
2. How do membership standards outlined within the Racine GOP Constitution (and to some
extent, the Bylaws) apply to someone who’s never been a party member? Interpretation:
How dare he/she break rules they were unaware of in an organization they were not yet
a member of!
3. The Racine GOP has been notoriously secretive about disclosing their Constitution and
Bylaws. Neither document is available on their website, on social media, but perhaps most
concerning is that it's not part of standard correspondence to members (new and existing)
to notify them of such organizational rules— failure to provide members these documents
prevents them from understanding the structure and internal operations of their own party.
How do they break rules when they are unaware such rules exist?

Again, the point must be emphasized that Michelle Vos is involved in membership decisions. This is
a clear conflict of interest that should be addressed.

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In Conclusion:
There are many other conduct issues counter to the proclaimed mission and vision of the Racine GOP,
however the purpose of this exposé is to reveal the hurdles set forth by the Racine GOP to deter America
First Conservative Republicans from becoming a part of their local Republican party. By the actions
outlined above, the Racine GOP has chosen to throttle free-thinking conservatives who do not agree with
the egregious decisions made by their board.
What the Racine GOP fails to realize is that their actions have damaged the credibility of the Republican
Party as a whole. Their behaviors have alienated grassroots conservatives, donors (current and potential),
and those that disagree with the actions of the Racine GOP— in reality, the board’s juvenile conduct
serves only to benefit the Democrats.
The circumstances in Racine are alarming and unsettling. Ephesians 5:11 tells us, “Take no part in the
worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.” We don’t know what will occur at the
upcoming March 4th Racine GOP County Caucus, but we are duty-bound by God to continue fighting
both for our rights and for what is right. We strive to return Christian defined morals as well as the
original intent of our U.S. Constitution to the Racine County Republican Party and reject the moral and
constitutional relativism currently infecting our party’s leadership.

Written by a Racine County group of free-thinking America First Conservative Republicans

see attachments for supporting documents