The Fulton Republican Assembly chapter has decided to join in with two other local chapters in Metro-Atlanta for an up-coming Combined Regional Endorsement Convention on April 6th! That means that the convention will now be able to endorse in Congressional Districts 6, 7, and 11 — and all local state legislative and commission races in the geographic area. In addition, GRA members who live in counties in these congressional districts can also participate even if they don’t have a local RA chapter for their area. So now GRA members from Bartow, Douglas, Forsyth, Dawson, Lumpkin, and Hall counties will also be able to join with Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton, and Pickens for this event.
Remember that an RA endorsement always requires a two-thirds majority vote.
Separately, the West GRA chapter has announced that it is holding its local endorsement convention for races within the 3rd Congressional District area on Tuesday, April 2nd. Learn more on our Events page.
Already, at the Combined Regional Endorsement Convention in metro-Atlanta, some key contests are shaping up for the regional endorsement convention. Candidate Paul Kettering, for example, has qualified to challenge incumbent State Rep. Jordan Ridley (R-22) whose district covers part of Cherokee and part of Cobb. Ridley two years ago won election to office in an open seat after receiving the GRA endorsement. He also took the maximum contribution from the GRA-PAC. But after getting elected, Ridley quickly distanced himself from his supporters and the GA Freedom Caucus, earning himself a legislative vote score of 43% (“D”) in 2023.
Kettering says he’s running as a true conservative America First patriot, and aims to replace Ridley for the Republican nomination in State House District 22. He has already confirmed as one of the candidate speakers at the regional endorsement convention.
To pre-register for this 2024 local RA Regional Endorsement Convention, please register here. Lunch will be included.
Early-bird pricing is available for those registering before April 6, 2024. At the door pricing will be $25 per participating RA member. Candidates registering to speak at the event pay a $50 sponsorship. Other like-minded partner organizations pay $75 to hold a table at this regional endorsement convention.
If you are concerned about the direction of our country, don’t yell at the TV or stay home and complain, please join us in taking constructive action. One person by himself is helpless to stop the leftist onslaught, but by working together we can fight and, with God’s help, save our community.
Endorsement conventions provide an opportunity to meet and network with like-minded patriots who share the same passions and causes you care about. By attending these conventions you will be encouraged and feel better to know you are not alone and are doing something to help make a difference for the next generation.
Ringgold, GA — Tuesday the four local judges in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit filed to recuse themselves from the case in Catoosa in which four candidates are trying to use the civil government to force themselves on the Republican Primary ballot. We are pleased to report that the appeal is moving forward, and the Catoosa GOP is committed to continue fighting for the constitutional right to freedom of association. The government does not have the constitutional authority to force a private entity such as a political party to publicly associate with someone who does not represent their values.
We applaud that Judge Thompson and the other three judges on the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit who have recused themselves to ensure this case can be given fair and unbiased consideration.
Last Saturday the Catoosa County GOP hosted one of the largest attended county conventions in recent history and if any Republican voters had concerns about the Catoosa GOP leadership, they did not show up at the convention to express it. The unity and enthusiasm in the room was unmistakable. None of the people trying to force their way on to the Republican Party ballot or their alleged supporters were in attendance. We are glad to see the unified support from Republicans in the Catoosa community to only have Republicans on the Republican primary ballot.
The Catoosa GOP Convention unanimously passed the a resolution in full support of the Catoosa GOP leaders in their fight for freedom of association.
Next Tuesday, the Catoosa Board of Elections will be holding a hearing at the Catoosa County Courthouse to hear from local citizens who have filed challenges to the four candidates being forced onto the Republican primary ballot. That hearing is expected to start at 9:00am.
You may recall that our GRA-endorsed State Senator Colton Moore (R-53) was the only Senator calling for a special session to get rid of Fulton Democrat DA Fani Willis. He proposed a bill to change the RICO law to end the Fulton prosecutions. And as a reward for it, he was kicked out of the Republican caucus by our “Republican” politicians.
And just this week, on Legislative Day 35, during a debate to name a government building after the late Former House Speaker, David Ralston, Sen. Moore had this to say.
Note that Sen. Moore was pointing out information, and didn’t even delve into the anti-Republican tactics used throughout the years that were discussed in past Advance the GOP messages.
The response from the Establishment was, again, excessive.
Immediately leaked to the liberal media and banning him from the House floor with articles lacking details. And then the Establishment politicians, many of whom had previously feared Ralston, continue to hypocritically sing his praises.
And then the Establishment, throughout social media, push the shaming narrative that it wasn’t “the time and place” for a Senator to bring up the reasons to NOT name a government building after a politician, during the debate on naming the building after the politician.
I know you don’t want to be the problem. I didn’t want to be either. But the reason why the Establishment keeps doing this, and getting away with it, is because we don’t stand up. We don’t share this information.
We don’t have the time. Or we’re afraid it’ll offend our neighbors and friends. Or we’re afraid that all the politicians will come after us.
Ringgold, GA — In spite of severe threats to intimidate and coerce, none of the brave Catoosa GOP leaders were forced to spend time in jail as a result of their refusal to obey an unlawful order from a local judge attempting to force them to qualify RINO candidates. For the third time this week, Judge Don W. Thompson‘s bias was on full display this morning as he refused to let the Catoosa County GOP present any oral arguments in legal defense of their decision not to qualify these candidates as Republicans in the Republican Primary for county commissioner. The first courtroom hearing was held at 9:00 am Tuesday morning, but the Catoosa GOP’s attorneys were not made aware of the first hearing until it had already happened. The judge at that time ordered the Catoosa GOP to allow the candidates to qualify as Republicans in the primary.
Watch this video summary of what is really happening with the Catoosa County qualifying controversy.
Joanna Hildreth happily wrapping up candidate qualifying for the Catoosa GOP
No one was preventing them from running as a Democrat, third-party, or Independent. They were simply denied the Republican label. The Democratic Party of Chattooga County rejected a candidate seeking to run as a Democrat commissioner back in 2014, thereby setting a precedent for this decision.
The Catoosa GOP had previously adopted a rule that invites candidates to be interviewed, and their voting records in office examined, along with their public statements, prior to the members of the Executive Committee holding a vote to qualify. The votes were cast by secret ballot. Those who were allowed to qualify were issued affidavits, in accordance with the rules of the local party. In the view of the majority of the members of the Catoosa GOP Executive Committee, four candidates, with a voting history from previously serving on the county commission, advanced several policies contrary to the principles and policies specified in the Republican Party platform. The four candidates are Vanita Hullander, Jeff Long, Steven Henry and Larry Black.
GRA President Nathaniel Darnell
“When you do things such as pass two tax increases, pass restrictions on citizens’ raising chickens on their private property, publicly endorse a Democrat, and tell folks that they can only get their freedom back if they get a COVID vaccine,” said GRA President Nathaniel Darnell, “you shouldn’t be surprised when the local GOP leadership considers you a RINO and doesn’t want to re-qualify you to run as Republican with their stamp of approval.”
While these candidates complained that the Catoosa County GOP leadership was trying to help their favored candidates, that accusation was disproven when the Catoosa GOP qualified two or more candidates for the same race for various seats. The Catoosa GOP clearly stated, “The Catoosa County Republican Party proudly welcomes all county citizens who share our common conservative values and support our Republican principles.”
Judge Thompson held a second hearing at 1:00 pm Thursday, but again the judge refused to allow the Catoosa GOP’s attorneys to present oral arguments. Instead, the judge only allowed the attorneys for the complaining candidates to cross examine Catoosa GOP Chairman Joanna Hildreth on the witness stand. Three of their five attorneys took turns hammering her, demanding that she identify the names of the other members of her Executive Committee, and asking how she personally voted in the secret ballot. One attorney accused her of “celebrating” the denial of the candidates at her monthly county GOP meeting Monday evening, even though the matter never was mentioned at all there.
At the conclusion of that second hearing, Judge Thompson offered to let the attorneys for the Catoosa GOP call for other witnesses. When attorney Catherine Bernard said they had no other witnesses, the judge proceeded to give his ruling. Bernard attempted to interject, asking why they had not been given an opportunity to present closing oral arguments on the legal merits of their client’s position. The Judge said he was in the middle of his ruling, and would not be interrupted.
Police deputies leave the Catoosa GOP qualifying office after an attempt was made to intimidate them into qualifying the RINOs as Republicans.
He doubled-down on his order to the Catoosa County GOP, specifying that each of the six members of the Catoosa GOP Executive Committee would be fined $1,000 per hour for each of the four rejected candidates, and face up to 20 days of jail time, until the candidates were allowed to quality as Republicans in the primary. Yes, these courageous GOP volunteers were staring jail time in the face, all for standing on the constitutional right of freedom of association, that says government may not force a private entity to associate with someone against their will. He also specified that two police deputies wearing body cams would accompany the candidates as they attempted again to qualify.
Attorneys helping the Catoosa GOP: Alex Johnson, David Oles, and Catherine Bernard
As he was concluding Thursday, the Judge remarked to the attorneys for the RINO candidates that he didn’t think the Catoosa GOP would comply, and so he asked if they had any other remedies that could be pursued. Attorney Bryan Tyson replied that there was no other way they could qualify apart from the Catoosa GOP complying because state code O.C.G.A. § 21-2-153(c)(2) specifies the local board of elections office can only qualify if a three-day notice requirement is met, but there was only one more day left to qualify.
After the second hearing adjourned, the four candidates did attempt once again to show up at the Catoosa GOP qualifying office and demand to be approved. They were accompanied by the police deputies. The volunteer notary on duty said she could not allow them to qualify without the affidavit required by the rules.
Since their effort to intimidate the GOP leaders failed, Tyson and the other opposing attorneys showed up Friday morning in court in Catoosa and contradicted their admission from the previous day that they had no recourse to go around the county party. The Judge ruled in favor of that approach, and told the opposing counsel to draft the order, and let him approve it for issue. The written order admits that they are violating the noticerequirements in the state code, but alleges that they have no choice but to break the law.
Many wondered if any of the Catoosa GOP leadership would be arrested at the third hearing. No arrests were ordered, but a new hearing has been scheduled for March 27th.
Before the written order had been drafted, approved by the judge, and issued for the Catoosa GOP to be able to respond with any contrary motions, the local elections superintendent had already acted to qualify the the complaining candidates. It is yet to be seen whether a majority of the Catoosa Board of Elections will vote to approve the qualifying as Republicans in the primary or deem it to be against the law. If they do approve, then there will be other legal remedies available. The Catoosa GOP pledged to continue to work with their legal counsel to appeal Judge’s Thompson’s order and take the case before a different court.
