About Our Committee

The Republican voice of Mashpee — organized, growing, and working for the families and taxpayers of our town.

Who We Are

We are the Mashpee Republican Town Committee — the official, elected body of the Republican Party in the Town of Mashpee. Our members come from every walk of life: varied careers, backgrounds, faiths, and ages, united in a shared commitment to the Constitution and to electing Republican candidates for local, county, state, and national office.

The Town That Petitioned for Self-Government

Mashpee’s tradition of self-government did not begin with the town. It began with a petition.

“We, as a tribe, will rule ourselves, and have a right to do so; for all men are born free and equal.”

— resolutions adopted by the Mashpee Wampanoag, May 21, 1833

Roughly 108 people — men and women — signed those resolutions, appealing directly to the constitution of the country and declaring that no outsider would cut or carry off wood or hay on their land without permission. That June the community met, elected Daniel Amos its president, and dismissed the guardians who had been set over it. When the ban was enforced that July, the Commonwealth’s answer was arrest: William Apess, a Pequot preacher who had come to Mashpee and helped put the community’s claim into the language of the nation’s founding documents, served thirty days in the Barnstable jail.

The claim held. In March 1834 the Massachusetts legislature abolished the guardianship system and made Mashpee a self-governing district, empowered to elect its own selectmen and town officers — though the Commonwealth still appointed a commissioner and a treasurer over its finances. Mashpee was incorporated as a town in 1870. Today its voters govern themselves directly at Open Town Meeting, where every registered voter may attend, speak, and vote.

That is the inheritance this committee works from: the conviction, argued here and won here, that the people who live in a place are the ones fit to govern it.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is a federally recognized sovereign government with its own elected Tribal Council, coexisting with — not inside of — the Town of Mashpee. Two governments, on the same ground.

Our Mission & Vision

The mission of the Mashpee Republican Town Committee is to support the work of the Republican Party, at all levels of government, and to promote the principles of freedom, equality, and justice as intended by the founders of the Constitution of the United States. In doing so, we advocate for:

  • The maintenance of our role as leader of the free world and a strong sense of pride in our country and our heritage;
  • One government, “of, by, and for the people,” that minimizes its intervention in the lives of its citizens by promoting individual responsibility, initiative, volunteerism, and entrepreneurship, together with corporate responsibility;
  • Recognition of the need for good character and integrity, and the strengthening and defense of the institution of family.

Our vision is to be seen as protectors and advocates of freedom, equality, and justice; allies to our citizenry who enhance the potential and dignity of each individual; defenders of our country and our heritage; and advocates of the family and of sound character and integrity — the party that invites the community to discuss issues, share ideas, express concerns, and arrive at solutions.

Core Beliefs — The Republican Oath

I believe that the proper function of government is to do for the people those things that have to be done but cannot be done, or cannot be done as well, by individuals — and that the most effective government is government closest to the people.

I believe that good government is based on the individual, and that each person’s ability, dignity, freedom, and responsibility must be honored and recognized.

I believe that free enterprise and the encouragement of individual initiative and incentive have given this nation an economic system second to none.

I believe that sound money policy should be our goal.

I believe in equal rights, equal justice, and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, age, sex, national origin, or disability.

I believe we must retain those principles worth retaining, yet always be receptive to new ideas with an outlook broad enough to accommodate thoughtful change and varying points of view.

I believe that Americans value and should preserve their feeling of national strength and pride, and, at the same time, share with people everywhere a desire for peace, freedom, and the extension of human rights.

Finally, I believe that the Republican Party is the best vehicle for translating these ideals into positive and successful principles of government.

What We Do

We’re not a brochure — we’re an active committee. Among the things we do:

  • Provide financial support and volunteer hours to Republican candidates at the national, state, county, and local levels;
  • Hold sign standouts and rallies for our candidates, and get our message in front of Mashpee voters;
  • Hold regular committee meetings that are open to every Republican and Independent in town;
  • Recruit and support Mashpee residents willing to serve — on the ballot and on town boards;
  • Work alongside the other committees in the Massachusetts RTC network so our towns speak with one voice;
  • Keep our neighbors informed about what is happening in Town government — see Town Meetings.

Committee Leadership

The committee is led by an elected slate of volunteers who give their time to keep Mashpee’s Republican organization strong. The committee is registered with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance as the Mashpee Republican Town Committee (OCPF CPF ID 76324), organized in 2020.

Chair — Phyllis Sprout

The remainder of our officer slate will be published here shortly. In the meantime, the fastest way to reach the committee is our contact form — it goes straight to us.

Our Meetings

The committee meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm, at the Mashpee TV studios, 168 Industrial Drive. The next meetings are always listed on our Meetings page. All Republicans and Independents are welcome — come meet the team, hear what we’re working on, and find your place in it.

Mashpee at a Glance

Mashpee is governed by a five-member Select Board with a Town Manager, and its legislative body is Open Town Meeting. The town was incorporated in 1870 and has a population of roughly 15,400. Town offices are at 16 Great Neck Road North, Mashpee, MA 02649 — (508) 539-1400.

Of Mashpee’s 13,597 registered voters, 1,627 are Republicans and 9,211 are unenrolled — independents outnumber Democrats by more than three to one. That is who decides elections here, and that is who we build for.

Get Involved

Whether you can give an hour a month or an evening a week, there is a place for you here. Find out how to join, or reach out to the committee directly.