The following is Felicia Dionisio Hetzman’s response to Stephen Spoonamore’s March 14 and March 19 appearances on The Tor Michaels Show. Mrs. Hetzman and Mr. Spoonamore are both seeking the elected office of Chair of the Centre County Republican Committee in the May 19 Primary Election.
Spoonamore on Tor Michaels Show:
Spoonamore’s post can be read here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1aDCY7gNRq/
Dear fellow Centre County Republicans:
Mr. Spoonamore certainly gets points for creativity. I’ll give him that.
For anyone trying to separate fact from fiction, here’s the reality: I was not involved in any way with the Centre County Republican Committee (CCRC) at the time of the alleged incident at State College Area High School in April 2023.
I was not there, I had no knowledge of it, and I have never commented on it – until now.
I joined the CCRC as a volunteer in August 2024, a full 16 months after the incident.
Spoonamore’s attempt to tie me to something I wasn’t involved in and had no knowledge of is troubling.
According to media reports at the time, the individuals who entered the school through an unlocked door were not arrested and were not criminally investigated. They were asked to leave and did so. I’m not defending their actions. I’m simply pointing out they were never charged with a crime. That said – and for the record – I do not support unlawful behavior of any kind. Full stop. Period.
Spoonamore laments the need to “restore civility” in a “functioning democracy.”
In the next breath, he calls me and others disparaging names like “loser” and “Karen” and “weirdo.”
For the record, I absolutely do defend Spoonamore’s exercise of his First Amendment rights. Gotta love free speech!
Spoonamore’s rhetoric sounds to me more like something you’d hear at a middle-school lunch table rather than from someone making a serious case for leadership.
Spoonamore argues the volunteer chair of the CCRC should “advocate for transportation improvements” in Centre County, work to influence the fate of the now-shuttered Rockview prison, and “improve relationships between Republicans, Democrats, Independents.”
It sounds like Spoonamore is running for the wrong elected office.
The organization he seeks to lead does not exist to serve the whims of its chair.
The chair’s authority is organizational — not governmental. She does not govern, write legislation, pass laws, cast votes, or direct elected officials.
The chair’s role is to build and mobilize the Republican Party at the local level — not to govern or make policy.
Should the CCRC be welcoming and inclusive to new supporters? Absolutely! The more the merrier!
At the same time, I believe any growth of the party must remain grounded in clear conservative principles and a strong Republican identity.
That is non-negotiable.
I’m not auditioning for a reality-TV show. I’m seeking to provide steady leadership to the governing body of the Republican Party in Centre County.
I’m a Centre County native born in Bellefonte and a seventh-generation Pennsylvanian.
Over the past year, I’ve been in the trenches volunteering for the CCRC — organizing events, serving as precinct chair, poll watcher, and secretary — doing the real work to support Republican candidates and values here in Centre County.
Where has Stephen Spoonamore been?
I have more than 30 years of experience in management, team building, and communications. I know how to bring people together and I will build a Republican Party in Centre County that is strong, organized, welcoming, effective, united, and focused on winning elections.
That’s what I bring to the table.
That’s why I’m running for Chair of the Centre County Republican Committee.
Curious? Intrigued? Ready to help build something better?
Visit www.Felicia4You.com
Sincerely,
Felicia Dionisio Hetzman