Republican Chair Blocks Grassroots Volunteers from Becoming Committee Members
Fifty-two people in Coos County attended a Republican Party meeting on August 28, 2025, with nineteen of them having the proper paperwork and ready to serve as Precinct Committee Persons.
Silently, missing in action, there was no Chair to accept these people into the party.
The Chair, Michael Brainard, never sent out a notice regarding whether the meeting was occurring or had been canceled, leaving many to wonder what had happened to the party leadership.
This systematic obstruction reveals how political corruption protects itself through institutional capture. The Coos County Republican Party has become a textbook case of power consolidation destroying grassroots representation.
The Procedural Manipulation Playbook
County Chair Michael Brainard has successfully operated within the party rules. He follows the bylaws technically while abandoning decades of precedent.
Before November, the party accepted PCPs at every regular meeting. The only requirement was being a registered Republican and filing form SEL 105.
The bylaws are clear: "The eligibility of Republicans for appointment to PCP positions shall have no additional rules or requirements other than those imposed on filing form SEL 105."
But Brainard changed everything without explanation.
In May, volunteers attempted to submit their SEL 105 forms. He refused to accept them, promising appointments at the June meeting.
He canceled the June meeting.
In July, he listed only three people for an appointment, breaking standard procedure. When the Vice Chair, Chris Castleman, motioned to discuss other appointments, Brainard denied it. The Vice Chair motioned for a vote.
Denied again.
For August, he failed to send the required 10-day meeting notice. The Vice Chair held a meeting, although no official actions could be taken. The meeting was a success, and even the Vice-Chair of the Oregon Republican Party, Dave Brown, joined us to explain why he became a Republican.
The Chair has deployed every procedural trick against the party's own members in an attempt to protect a corrupt Senator.
Dear Committee Members,
Please be advised that there is no Central Committee Meeting for the Month of August or for September 25th. This decision was made due to the disruptive and unruly behavior observed during our previous two meetings. I believe it is in the best interest of the Committee to take this time to reflect and reset expectations for future conduct.
I remain committed to fostering a respectful and productive environment for all members. This notice is for PCPs; if you are reading this and not a PCP, then this message was leaked. I know the Vice-Chair has improperly called a meeting for tonight August 28th. Referring to our CCRCC Bylaws, the Vice-Chair does not have the authority to call meetings, that ability lies with the chair. According to the Bylaws, the Vice-Chair's duty is to fill in for the Chair. I have not directed Vice-Chair Chris Castleman to call a meeting and declare this meeting cancelled.
I would like to dispel a rumor that is being circulated claiming that the party is refusing to accept PCPs. The Coos County Republican Party is accepting PCP applications. The procedure is to fill out a form requesting to be a PCP and turning it in to the party. It is then given to the chair to be placed on the agenda. I believe this rumor has occurred because the Vice-Chair has been soliciting applications and refusing to submit them promptly to the Chair.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Michael Brainard
Chairman
In a childish response, belittling the very people whom he needs to build the party, the Chair cancelled the September meeting until they learned to behave better. August’s meeting went on without him. The Chair is upset at the Vice-Chair for following through on the mission of growing the party. He then explains that nobody was appointed to PCP because they never submitted an application. The Chair never offered an application, nor did he ask for one when people requested the appointment. Every candidate for PCP had filled out a SEL105 at the meetings.
No other Chair has ever required a separate application for the appointment to PCP, so this is another excuse to keep it a closed party.
The Staggering Numbers
Fewer than 50 PCPs currently serve out of 198 possible positions in Coos County. Nineteen qualified applicants have been systematically rejected.
Two-thirds of registered Republicans remain unrepresented in their own party.
Oregon law requires major political parties to "ensure the widest and fairest representation" of party members. With 75% of positions unfilled and active rejection of volunteers, this legal standard appears to be violated.
The irony cuts deeper. The volunteers being blocked are the most active Republicans in the county.
Brainard is systematically excluding the people most likely to work for conservative victories. Their reputation for working on standalone issues is phenomenal, yet they are kept at bay, denied the ability to participate in their party of registration.
The Real Power Structure
Brainard operates as a proxy for State Senator David Brock Smith. The senator uses the county party as his personal campaign operation rather than an entity representing all registered Republicans.
Smith knows new PCPs would likely remove Brainard once appointed or elected. He has created a feedback loop of corruption protection among his few loyal supporters.
Party officials actively target critics of the senator. Former Chair Rod Schilling pursued sponsors of a conservative newsletter because publisher Diane Rich was investigating Smith. She dared to question the Senator's votes in both the House and the Senate, which showed a pattern of voting with the Democrats.
They attack the senator's detractors on social media. They weaponize party resources against fellow Republicans who ask uncomfortable questions.
With a new group of people running the party, Smith faces potential censure. He may be asked to return party donations once new leadership takes control, because the current structure will not be there to protect him from accountability within his own party.
Electoral Consequences
The consolidation of power creates devastating electoral weakness. Without PCPs, the party struggles to find candidates, raise funds, and promote conservative priorities, such as returning to precinct voting.
Research shows that strong local party organizations with active precinct-level involvement can increase voter turnout by 3-5%. Coos County Republicans are deliberately weakening their electoral machinery. Trump won Coos County by almost 60% of the vote, so an active party base should be able to move the dial in local elections, even after the party has been stagnant.
The next election cycle begins on September 11, 2025, with elections scheduled for May. The party will enter this cycle with massive organizational holes.
Fewer PCPs means fewer poll workers from the party on election day. Democrats gain advantages in election observation and accuracy monitoring.
The confrontational atmosphere deters other Republicans from involvement. Nobody donates to organizations that retaliate against fellow conservatives. Nobody volunteers time for entities that attack their own members.
The party is imploding by design.
A Nationwide Pattern
Coos County represents a broader crisis within Republican parties across Oregon and multiple other states. Similar divisiveness is also evident in Douglas, Yamhill, and Marion counties, as well as in states like Idaho, Utah, and Texas.
The pattern repeats itself. Establishment figures utilize party structures for influence and fundraising, while the grassroots base becomes increasingly irrelevant.
These tactics create what experts call "institutional capture,” where small groups consolidate power and limit broader participation.
Conservative, MAGA Republicans find themselves warring with party establishments that cannot stand by stated conservative values. The establishment demands loyalty oaths from volunteers while refusing to vet their chosen candidates.
The accountability flows in precisely the wrong direction.
Party leaders vet grassroots volunteers seeking unpaid positions while giving politicians seeking power a complete pass. It is the exact opposite of how political parties should operate, allowing incumbents and minor factions to seize authority. Then both feed off the system to promote their own personal agendas, not the party standards that the members and most registered Republicans agree upon.
The Waiting Game
Reform-minded Republicans in Coos County face a strategic waiting game until the May 2026 elections. Current leadership appears willing to destroy the party rather than surrender its authority.
The Chair and former Chair operate with nihilistic determination. They cannot move forward, address issues, or effectively support candidates.
But momentum builds toward reform. New PCPs elected in 2026 will likely change leadership and revise bylaws to make the party appealing to fellow Republicans again.
The solution requires filling vacant PCP positions to create immunity against future capture attempts. The more of the 198 county PCP positions that are filled with good Republicans, the more protection the party has against outside manipulation and to ensure broader representation.
It only takes three to five people to elect a PCP.
Everyone has at least three to five family members or friends who would vote for them.
On September 11, 2025, would YOU please consider filling out a SEL105 to become a PCP for the Coos County Republican Central Committee?
Your county needs you.
Your party needs you.
Here is a link to the SEL105 Form:
https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/SEL105.pdf
Please send it to the Elections Division of the Clerk’s Office:
The Fundamental Principle
The current crisis reveals a forgotten truth about political accountability. Parties should encourage grassroots involvement with trust and respect while demanding rigorous standards from politicians.
Save the vetting for politicians. They are the ones seeking power.
Average Republicans who have never been involved must step forward and become PCPs. Local party members must strive for in-person precinct voting and full representation across all positions.
Candidates must adhere to fiscally conservative standards that they agree to follow before receiving the party endorsement. The establishment's refusal to vet chosen candidates while blocking grassroots volunteers represents a complete inversion of proper party management.
Control remains an illusion in democratic systems. The future belongs to people who freely choose to participate and are active in the process.
Involvement is the most crucial aspect.
The Coos County situation illustrates how quickly institutional capture can erode political parties from within. But it also shows the path forward.
Fill every position.
Demand accountability upward.
Protect grassroots representation.
The health of conservative politics depends on learning these lessons before more county parties follow Coos County into systematic self-destruction.
