April 2023 - The Georgia Republican Assembly

Huge Victories in the GOP District Conventions Across the State!

April 26, 2023 by Georgia Republican Assembly in conventions

Saturday, April 22nd, delegates reported major GRA wins in the Georgia Republican Congressional District Conventions all across the state!

The longest and perhaps hardest fought victories came in the 11th Congressional District, which concluded near 7:30pm. Going into that convention, many were still concerned that the Establishment would attempt to throw out the Cherokee County delegation, but they were successfully seated. By 4pm a secret ballot election count found that GRA-endorsed candidate David Oles(Pickens) had defeated incumbent Dr. Lisa Adkins (Cobb) for the 11th District GOP Chairman’s race by a vote of 164 to 88. GRA-endorsed candidate James Dvorak(Cherokee) also defeated Roy Adkins (Cobb) for Vice Chair of Communications in the 11th by a vote of 163 to 88. GRA-endorsed candidate Chris Mora (Pickens) won the 11th’s 1st Vice Chair position without opposition, and he presided over the remainder of that convention.

Several other GRA-endorsed candidates and GRA members were elected to the 11th District GOP Committee and the GA GOP State Committee from the 11th, including Marcia Cox (Cherokee), Carolyn Childers (Pickens), Cassandra Docherty(Cherokee), Susan Haddad (Cherokee), and Dr. Fun Fong (Cobb).

At the 14th District GOP Convention, in spite of a late smear campaign targeted against him, our GRA NFRA Director Nathaniel Darnell (Cobb) was elected as Treasurer when his opponent dropped out of the race. He was also re-elected to the GA GOP State Committee by acclamation. In that District our GRA Assistant Secretary Denise Burns (Catoosa) also easily won re-election as the 14th’s District GOP Chairwoman, and several GRA members were elected from the 14th to the GA GOP State Committee, including Jackie Harling(Walker) and our GRA Secretary Joanna Hildreth (Catoosa).

In the 6th District, another candidate who endured a series of smear campaigns was GRA-endorsed Richard Jordan (Cherokee), who successfully won election as the 1st Vice Chairman by a vote of 156 to 68.

GRA member Donna Watson (C0bb) won election as the 6th District Chairwoman. GRA-endorsed candidate Honey Burfield (Cherokee) was elected to the GA GOP State Committee from the 6th. A majority of the elected 6th District Executive Committee members were also GRA-endorsed candidates.

In the 13th District, GRA-member Nathan Adams (Cobb) won re-election as the 1st Vice Chairman in that Republican organization, and Cobb RA Executive Committee officer Matthew Hardwick won election to the GA GOP State Committee!

In the 4th District, GRA President Alex Johnson (DeKalb) and the GRA’s junior NFRA Director Catherine Bernard (DeKalb) were also elected to the GA GOP State Committee. GRA-endorsed candidate Jim Duffie (DeKalb) was elected as the 4th District GOP Chairman. That district was the earliest to report adjourning, being out by 11:30am Saturday morning.

In the 3rd Congressional District, former State Senator and GRA member Mike Crane(Coweta) was easily re-elected as 3rd District GOP Chairman. GRA 2nd Vice President Jim Fernander (Douglas) and West GRA chapter leader Katie Frost (Coweta) also easily won election to the GA GOP State Committee, along with many other terrific GRA members in the 3rd District.

But perhaps the biggest surprise upset came from the 1st Congressional District where, former candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor, Kandiss Taylor(Appling) won election as the new District Chairwoman with the help of our SEGRA chapter. The uber-liberal Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Greg Bluestein) begrudgingly acknowledged these victories Sunday morning, devoting 24 paragraphs to try and spin how “irrelevant” they are with quotes from cronies of the Atlanta political industry. Kandiss Taylor provided a response on her Facebook social media page, which you can watch here. For the third time in three years, attorney Jason Shepherd (Cobb) spitefully declared in the article that he was leaving the Republican Party. Jason has made it his regular practice to publicly malign, slander, and harass conservatives in the GOP ever since he lost a race for GA GOP Chairman to David Shafer (Gwinnett) two years ago.

These state-wide victories showcase the deep hunger the grassroots in the Republican Party have for a change toward accountability to Republican principles and policies (as described in our GOP platform). The people sense a massive disconnect between the Republican Establishment in Atlanta at the State Capitol and the folks back home.

Now we prepare for the state GA GOP Convention in Columbus, GA in early June. You can equip yourself for that event by joining us for the GRA state Endorsement Convention this coming Saturday in Smyrna, Georgia! You will have the opportunity to hear from numerous candidates, and if you are a GRA member, you will have the opportunity to vote to endorse the candidates. (Remember it takes a 2/3rd majority vote of the participating membership to earn an endorsement from the GRA.)

GRA State Endorsement Convention
Saturday, April 29, 2023 | Starting at 10:00am
American Legion – Smyrna Post 160 | 160 Legion Drive SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
Online Registration: $40
Lunch included!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS STATE ENDORSEMENT CONVENTION.

8th District GOP Convention Fails to Pass a Resolution “Condemning the GRA”

April 24, 2023 by Georgia Republican Assembly in conventions

While GRA members all over the state were busy winning elections to GOP office, at the 8th Congressional District GOP Convention in Bleckley County, delegates were entertaining a resolution that reportedly “condemned the Georgia Republican Assembly.” Austin Futch served as the Chairman of the 8th District Resolutions Committee. This was one of only two resolutions brought forward by the Resolutions Committee in that congressional district.

Out of the 161 delegates at the convention, witnesses reported that only 10 people supported the resolution. One delegate reported that the resolution “talked about building, [and] yet they tear down. Delegates realized that and there was a lot of pushback.

Other District GOP Conventions Pass Resolutions to Abolish Abortion, Enact Election Integrity, & Reprimand Republican Legislators Who Voted for H.B. 520

April 24, 2023 by Nathaniel Darnell in conventions

On Saturday many District GOP Conventions advanced resolutions that promoted historic Republican principles and called for accountability from GOP legislators. In both the 14th and 3rd Districts, for example, those conventions overwhelmingly passed resolutions supporting legislation such as the Prenatal Equal Protection Act that would completely abolish abortion in Georgia. Regretfully, that legislation was assigned by State House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) to the Public Health Committee, Chaired by State Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Cobb), who has not allowed the bill to come before the committee for a discussion or vote. You can read the full text of that resolution (with scrivener errors corrected) at this link.

In addition, numerous Election Integrity resolutions passed at these conventions — both as recommended from their District Resolutions Committees and as introduced from the floor. In the 14th District, for example, a resolution was introduced from the floor and passed that called for the state to get rid of open primaries and to oppose rank-choice voting.

*The members of the 14th District GOP Resolutions Committee*

Several resolutions called out Republican elected lawmakers by name both for praise as well as for censure. The 3rd District, for example, reprimanded Congressman Drew Ferguson for failing to take “bold action in defense of Americans unjustly treated after January 6th.” Both the 3rd and 14th Districts passed resolutions against H.B. 520 (“Mental Health” bill) that was recently stalled in the state legislature after it passed in the State House with only three Republicans voting against it.

That resolution in the 14th District praised GRA-endorsed State Rep. Mitchell Horner (R-Ringgold) for being one of the three Republican legislators who voted against H.B. 520. Horner is also a member of the Georgia Freedom Caucus.

*State Rep. Mitchell Horner (center) with our NFRA Director & 3rd Vice President*

“Be it Resolved that the 14th District GOP expresses their gratitude to Rep. Mitchell Horner (R-Ringgold) HD-3 for having the courage to vote ‘No’ to this egregious legislation.

“Be it further Resolved that the 14th District GOP expresses their grave disappointment in all the Republicans who voted for this legislation, including:

“Rep. Mike Cameron (R-Rossville) HD 1
“Rep. Steve Tarvin (R-Chickamauga) HD 2
“Rep. Kasey Carpenter (R-Dalton) HD 4
“Rep. Matt Barton (R-Calhoun) HD 5
“Rep. Jason Ridley (R-Chatsworth) HD 6
“Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee) HD 12
“Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) HD 13
“Rep. Trey Kelley (R-Cedartown) HD-16
“Rep. Martin Momtahan (R-Dallas) HD-17
“Rep. Joseph Gullett (R-Dallas) HD-19
“Rep. Ginny Ehrhart (R-Marietta) HD-36”.

You can read the full text of the 14th District GOP’s version of this resolution here.

11th & 6th District RA Endorsement Convention Results!

April 18, 2023 by Georgia Republican Assembly in Campaign / Candidates / conventions

Last Saturday, Republican Assembly members from Cobb, Cherokee, Pickens, Gwinnett, and Fulton counties met to hear speeches and interviews with candidates for District Party office in the 11th and the 6th—and to vote on endorsing many of these candidates!

Videos with the Congressional District GOP Chair & 1st Vice Chair candidates are available to view here and here, respectively. All Chair candidates who were not able to attend in person were also invited to submit a video presentation. Donna Watson, candidate for 6th District GOP Chairwoman, submitted a video on her candidacy, however Dr. Lisa Adkins, who is running for re-election as 11th District Chairwoman did not submit a video. Adkins is being challenged by attorney David Oles who attended. Watson has competition from Jerry Marrinich.

Click to watch the District Chairman Candidate panel.

*Attorney* ***David Oles*** *wins the endorsement for 11th District GOP Chairman!*

David Oles won the endorsement for 11th District GOP Chairman, but no candidate was able to get the two-thirds votes necessary to win endorsement in the 6th District GOP Chairman’s race.

For the 1st Vice Chairman’s race, attendees heard from Richard Jordan from Cherokee (running for 1st Vice Chairman in the 6th), Chris Mora from Pickens (running for re-election as 1st Vice Chairman in the 11th), and John Beville from Cobb (running for 1st Vice Chairman in the 6th). Absent was Joel Allen from Cobb who has also declared his candidacy in this race. You can watch the video of that candidate panel here.

Richard Jordan won the endorsement for 6th District GOP 1st Vice Chair and Chris Mora won the endorsement for 11th District GOP 1st Vice Chair.

Click to watch the District 1st Vice Chairman Candidate panel.

*Attendees listening to the candidates at the*
*GRA District Endorsement Convention*

In addition to these candidates, attendees got to hear stump speeches from candidates for various officer positions in these two District organizations and from candidates for state committee. YouTube initially removed the video of these messages (for violating their “community guidelines” by making reference to election fraud) but it has been restored on our GRA YouTube channel, which you can currently watch here.

Click to see the stump speeches from the other candidates.

Below is a preliminary list of candidates who won endorsement at this Republican Assembly District Endorsement Convention for particular positions.

We hope this list will serve as a helpful guide for strong conservative Republican delegates wanting to get the best GOP leaders elected at the 6th & 11th GOP Congressional District Conventions this coming Saturday, April 22nd.

Endorsed District Candidates:

11th District GOP Chair: David Oles
11th District GOP 1st Vice Chair: Chris Mora
11th District GOP Vice Chairman of Communications: James Dvorak
11th District GOP Vice Chair of Events: No Endorsement
11th District GOP Vice Chair of Fundraising: Kelly Sirios
11th District GOP Treasurer: Ann Marie Cosway
11th District GOP State Committee from Cherokee: Marcia Cox
11th District GOP State Committee from Cherokee: Sandy Docherty
11th District GOP State Committee from Cherokee: Todd Smith
11th District GOP State Committee from Cherokee: Andy Reprieto
11th District GOP State Committee from Cherokee: James Dvorak
11th District GOP State Committee from Cobb: Alicia Adams
11th District GOP State Committee from Pickens: Carolyn Childers

6th District GOP Chair: No Endorsement
6th District GOP 1st Vice Chair: Richard Jordan
6th District GOP Assistant Secretary: Katie Perry
6th District GOP Vice Chair: Siegfried Jucknies
6th District GOP State Committee from Cobb: Michael Optiz
6th District GOP State Committee from Cobb: Tess Redding
6th District GOP State Committee from Cherokee: Honey Burfield

9th District GOP Convention Resoundingly Defeats Resolution Celebrating Life & Legacy of Speaker David Ralston

April 17, 2023 by Georgia Republican Assembly in conventions / State Legislator

Flowery Branch, GA—Saturday at the 9th Congressional District GA GOP Convention, hundreds of Republican delegates from northeast Georgia voted overwhelmingly to defeat a proposed resolution that would have celebrated the life and political legacy of the late Speaker David Ralston (R-Ellijay). The 9th Congressional District encompasses Ralston’s old State House District. Resolutions Committee Chairman Stephen Aaron from Gilmer County had drafted the resolution and reportedly told the other Resolutions Committee members that the Ralston resolution was “non-negotiable” even though he was warned against presenting it.

*The newly elected slate of officers in the 9th Congressional District GA GOP*

GA GOP National Committeeman Jason Thompson presided over the 9th District GA GOP Convention. A package of resolutions including the Ralston resolution were originally presented to be voted on at the District Convention altogether, but the body at the convention instead voted to address each resolution individually. When the Ralston resolution was presented, delegates reported that it was “decisively defeated” by a voice vote.

In previous years prior to his death, GA GOP conventions have passed resolutions publicly reprimanding Speaker David Ralston for his bad leadership in the Georgia State House, when he has often squelched conservative Republican policies and legislation ranging from gun rights to pro-life advancements to election integrity and more, while fast-tracking Coporate Cronyist legislation and big-government expansions. He had persecuted fellow Republican legislators more conservative than him. He has also been publicly reprimanded for abusing his political office in his attorney practice.

For years the GRA has publicly criticized the former Speaker for his 13 years of bad leadership in the State House, demonstrated in numerous ways we have described many times both before and after he announced his retirement from office. We have even been publicly vilified by the AJC and the Atlanta Establishment (and their cronies) for our critiques.

While it is one thing to express public condolences to Ralston’s family and friends for his passing late last year, it has been shameful how many Republican officials in Atlanta have made public statements praising the late Speaker’s political legacy and implying that he was a model politician that others should emulate. At the time many of these statements were posted, we shared on our Twitter feed a quote from Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, which he providentially made on that same day: “Not every person who dies necessarily deserves to be mourned. You don’t become a good person just because you happen to die.”

We are pleased that this resolution was resoundingly defeated, and we hope that the politicians will take note that their behavior on this subject has been shown to be completely out of sync with the Republican grassroots in Georgia. The late Speaker David Ralston’s example as a politician was deplorable and Republicans in the state legislature should not follow in his example.

You can see the text of the defeated resolution in the image below here:

Josh McKoon Speaks at GRA 11th & 6th District Endorsement Convention

April 15, 2023 by Georgia Republican Assembly in Candidates

Former State Senator Josh McKoon (R-Columbus) dropped by the GRA’s 11th & 6th District Endorsement Convention in Canton on Saturday to stump as a candidate for GA GOP Chairman. GRA members from Cobb County, Cherokee County, Pickens County, Gwinnett County, and Fulton County were gathered there to listen to candidates for 11th and 6th District GA GOP office.

The GRA has not yet endorsed any candidate for state GA GOP Chairman. A state GRA Endorsement Convention has been scheduled for April 29th in Smyrna, Georgia, and all three candidates for GA GOP Chairman have been invited to speak. GRA members may vote to endorse one of them by a two-thirds majority vote. The other two candidates running are Rebecca Yardley (retiring 9th District GA GOP Chairwoman) and Dennis Futch (Colquitt County GOP Chairman), and both of them have been invited to come and share.

You can now see McKoon’s speech at the District Endorsement Convention on the Cobb RA’s YouTube Channel here:

Ideal Qualities for an Accountability-Minded GOP Officer

April 12, 2023 by Georgia Republican Assembly in events

Tuesday evening Nathaniel Darnell (NFRA Director for the GRA) and his wife Abigail Darnell (3rd Vice President of the GRA) gave a presentation before the Pickens County Republican Party called “How to Reform the GOP and Save America from Socialism.” Included in that presentation was a slide about the ideal qualities of our GOP leaders.

These are qualities we would recommend you use to evaluate any candidates for District GOP leadership or state GA GOP leadership as you prepare to vote for those positions in the coming weeks:

GRA State Endorsement Convention: Saturday, April 29th

April 10, 2023 by Georgia Republican Assembly in conventions / events

Are you tired of GOP officers being “yes men” and covering for bad Republican politicians—who vote like Democrats? Do you want the Georgia to be in a strong position for the elections next year? This is your opportunity to help reform the Republican Party in Georgia!

The Georgia Republican Assembly has announced its state-wide Endorsement Convention to hear from and potentially endorse candidates for GA GOP Chairman and other officer positions. The State Endorsement Convention will be held on Saturday, April 29th at the American Legion building in Smyrna, GA. You can register for the event here.

Remember that in order to vote in a GRA Endorsement Convention, you must have been approved as a GRA member before the convention day. If you would like to apply to become a GRA member, you can join here.

As with all our endorsement conventions, it takes a two-thirds majority of our participating members for a candidate to earn the endorsement of the organization. This is a great opportunity for you to meet like-minded new friends with political passion from across the state! Lunch is included in the registration.

All GA GOP Chair candidates are invited to speak at this event! We also invite all other candidates for state party office to come and share.

*Former President Donald Trump speaking at the*
*NFRA Convention*

In addition to voting on state endorsements, the GRA State Convention this year will also be electing delegates to represent the GRA at the NFRA’s National Endorsement Convention in Orlando, Florida in October. This year RA delegates at the NFRA Convention will vote on endorsing a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. You could be one of the delegates selected to vote on this critical endorsement. Let us know if you are interested in being considered for this opportunity as soon as possible!

Here is the important information about this State Endorsement Convention: