In June 2022, a bombshell New York Times story revealed that at least a half-dozen current and former Proud Boys, some of whom were later convicted of storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, had managed to secure seats within the 125-member Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee. The reporting spotlighted how the far-right nationalist group tried to shape local politics from the inside and "destabilized and dramatically reshaped" a once-conservative Miami-Dade Republican Party. A Miami-Dade GOP member roster obtained by New Times listed the names of several members of the extremist group once led by Miami's own Enrique Tarrio.
But while questions have lingered in recent years about the continued activity of Proud Boys-linked residents within the Miami-Dade GOP — as well as their future with the party — new records unveiled ahead of the committee's August primary election appear to provide some answers.
County election records first flagged by the social media account Miami Against Fascism (@MIAagainstFash) show that onetime Proud Boy Chris Barcenas is once again running for a Miami-Dade GOP executive committee seat — this time, for a state committeeman position.
Barcenas, who previously sat on the county's GOP executive committee, is a local real estate agent from Cooper City who identified himself as a onetime member of the Proud Boys while voluntarily testifying to a congressional committee on the January 6 assault.
Records show that Barcenas is running for the state committeeman seat against suspended Miami-Dade commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla, ex-county commissioner Bruno Barreiro, and current Miami-Dade commissioner Kevin Cabrera. He claims he is no longer a member of the Proud Boys.Chris Barcenas, current Miami GOP candidate for a committeeman seat with the Florida GOP, in front of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th with his fellow Proud Boys. #USAPB
— Miami Against Fascism 🌴☕️ (@MIAagainstFash) June 13, 2024
He was also subpoenaed by the Jan 6th Committee & provided names while under oath. 8/ pic.twitter.com/MYzYAH3nIE
Miami-Dade GOP chairman Kevin Cooper did not immediately respond to New Times' request for comment about Barcenas' candidacy.
While Barcenas protested at the Capitol on January 6, he reportedly did not enter the building and has not been charged with a crime. However, he did testify to the January 6 committee about his understanding of the Proud Boys' role in the events, explaining how he first got involved with the extremist organization and detailing his involvement with another local right-wing group called Floridians First.
In response to the news of Barcenas and other ex-Proud Boys joining the local GOP, then-chairman Rene Garcia vowed to fix the committee's vetting process.
"We now have a rules committee that we didn't have before I became chair," he said at the time. "We have started a process to make sure we have a better process of vetting people who are coming into the GOP."
In separate criminal cases, Gabriel Garcia and Gilbert Fonticoba, who were featured in the 2022 coverage of current and former Proud Boys on the Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee, were convicted late last year on felony charges arising from the January 6 riot.
According to county election documents, candidates for the Miami-Dade GOP Executive Committee must be a registered Republican voter, a resident of the district, and a registered member of the Republican party for at least 365 days before the beginning of qualifying.
There are now a total of 80 committeemen and 80 committeewomen, as well as one state committeeman and one state committeewoman elected at-large countywide. Their terms are each four years, starting on the first day of the month following the presidential general election, or December 1.
State committee members have several roles in the Republican Party of Florida, including acting as a liaison between the GOP State Executive Committee and county committees, electing the party's congressional district chair, and distributing news and bulletins to local members.
Primary election day for the committee is scheduled for August 20.
