Atlanta, GA — Today GRA-endorsed State Senator Colton Moore (R-Dade) appeared in court again to appeal the Fulton court decision from March to not arrest the man who grabbed, pushed, and knocked him to the floor at the state capitol.
The unforgettable incident occured on January 16th when Randall Keith Williams, staff member of the Speaker of the House, unlawfully blocked Moore from entering the State House chamber for the Governor’s State of the State address, under orders from State Speaker Jon Burns. In June the Georgia Republican Party state convention delegates voted to censure Speaker Burns for this action.
Moore was represented in court Thursday by attorneys Catherine Bernard (GRA Senior NFRA Director) and Alex Johnson (GRA Chairman) from the law firm Bernard & Johnson.
Fulton Superior Court Judge Williams heard the arguments and watched a video recording of the attack of Mr. Williams against Sen. Moore in the state capitol hallway.
Click to watch War Room Georgia’s report on the hearing.
“If this were two people who had no connection to the [State] Capitol whatsoever, there would still be a crime,” said attorney Catherine Bernard at the hearing, “if one of them was seeking to walk into a place, and the other one decided ‘I don’t want to let you get in here so I’m going to tackle and assault you.’ Not [in] a place that he had any authority over whatsoever – that still would have been a crime!”
The decision to ban Senator Moore from the House chamber followed his remarks in March 2024 opposing a resolution to honor the late Speaker David Ralston (R-Ellijay) and to name a building after him. From the well of the State Senate, Senator Moore echoed a point long emphasized by the GRA: that Speaker Ralston’s record included a pattern of misconduct and abuse of power unworthy of praise. He argued that Ralston should not be elevated as a model for other politicians to emulate.
Williams had previously been employed by Speaker David Ralston, and so he may have taken personal offense to Moore’s words.
“[T]he fact that we are dealing with someone who was duly elected to perform his duties, as a member of the Georgia legislature who was on his way to the legislative session, an activity that is specifically protected in the Georgia Constitution as well as Georgia statute, that provides an additional concern of having someone in that position being subjected to political violence to prevent them from participating in the session. … The rule of law does not allow government employees to assault and attack people who are participating in their duties as elected officials in the Georgia legislature.”
Click to watch the entire video of the court hearing on appeal.
GRA Members were appalled by the violent treatment of Senator Moore, and many GOP county and district organizations expressed their outrage in resolutions passed during the 2025 conventions.
What message will it send if there are no consequences for the person who shoved a peaceful Senator to the floor? What assurance do Georgia voters have that they will not be similarly denied representation the next time someone wants to prevent a legislator from entering The People’s House?
Judge Williams will announce her decision about the appeal in the coming weeks, and GRA members eagerly await the outcome.
We’re thrilled to announce that our 2025 GRA Officer Election State Convention will be held in the territory of the Northwest Georgia Republican Assembly chapter — home to the courageous leaders of the Catoosa County GOP who have been taking bold action to ensure only true Republicans run on the Primary ballot. We hope you’ll join us for this exciting event!
We will hear from a panel about Effective Citizen Lobbying, and vote on elections for half of our Executive Committee officers. Learn “How to Follow the Money.” The panel will feature practical skills for activists such as:
– How to look up campaign disclosures
– How to navigate the GA legislature’s website and legislative calendar
– How to find a bill and see how your legislator votedn
– How to discover who works for the political industry
This presentation is designed to help you hone your skills and make a bigger impact on the Georgia legislature.
Everyone is welcome to register and to attend the convention, learn from the panel, and share a meal, but only GRA members will be eligible to vote. Registration also includes a boxed Chick-fil-A lunch.
We will have the opportunity to discuss and vote on possible endorsements in pending special elections across the state, on resolutions, and on rules changes as well. Since amending the bylaws in 2023, now half of the GRA Executive Committee officers are elected in a staggered fashion every two years. This year the following offices are up for election:
GRA President
Junior GRA NFRA Director
GRA 2nd Vice President
GRA 3rd Vice President
GRA Treasurer
Remember that under the GRA Bylaws, a person must be approved as a GRA member at least 30 days before a convention in order to be eligible to vote. If you know someone who would like to apply to join the GRA, be sure to encourage them do so early enough to ensure they can get approved before November 6th! Our volunteer new membership team works hard to ensure new members share our principles, and vetting can sometimes take up to two weeks. So we recommend new members wanting to attend the convention and vote should submit their applicationthis week.
Many dedicated grassroots volunteers are working hard to get out the vote for the Public Service Commission races on November 4th. Come celebrate their efforts, enjoy great fellowship, and savor some mouthwatering barbecue with the Cobb County Republican Assembly chapter!
All patriots are welcome to join us for this fun social BBQ event where we will be celebrating our hard work & watch the returns for Public Service Commission races! There is no cost to attend, but we do need folks to pre-register so we have an accurate head count.
As per the rules of the Cheatham Community Center, no alcoholic beverages will be provided, but we will have a variety of other drinks available and freebarbecue to enjoy!
• Address: 3702 Ernest W Barrett Pkwy SW, Marietta, GA 30064 • Date: Tuesday, November 4th • Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Jerry Ramsey, the 2nd Vice President of the Cobb County Republican Assembly, is the primary coordinator for this barbecue. As many know, Jerry’s Election Night parties are legendary. If you have questions about the event, please reach out to Jerry.
DON’T FORGET TO VOTE FOR FITZ JOHNSON & TIM ECHOLS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER!
Regardless of where you live in Georgia, you are eligible to vote in the state-wide Public Service Commissioner elections going on right now! Early voting has started, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th!
Early poll reporting shows that so far Democrat voting exceeds Republican voting in this race. It is imperative that we get as many of our fellow Republicans to go to the polls and vote for the Republican nominees in this important election. Democrats are eager to impose the same kinds of “Green New Deal” policies in Georgia as they have in states like California — which will wreck jobs and cause energy costs to skyrocket!
Make sure your Republican friends and family all remember to vote!
For those of you who don’t know Roberts Rules of Order, a motion is a proposal within an organization (be it a board of directors, a convention, the state committee, or any other governing body or committee) to take some sort of action and it requires the organization to enact any commands within it.
Geoff Duncan, is running for Governor as a Democrat. He decided NOT to try to lie to voters and claim he’s a Republican, possibly due to the party making clear that he was not welcome.
Brad Raffensperger, on the other hand, has decided to run for Governor and lie to voters claiming he’s a Republican. While qualifying has not happened yet, some within the State GOP are making statements that mislead people about the role and power of the GAGOP. Simply because the GAGOP has failed for years, due to wanting to work for politicians that are leading us closer to Democrat victories, to exercise its ability to ensure Republican politicians are accountable to you, that does not mean that the Republican Party does not have the power to do so.
There are lawyers that have been helping the Catoosa GOP, pro bono, in getting favorable court rulings that affirm that right. The idea that the party needs millions of dollars to exercise a basic constitutional right is not only false, but also belies the inability of those pushing it to actually reach out to attorneys that are willing to help save the country without charging the party millions of dollars.
If we want to win elections not just next year, but for years into the future, the Republican Party must have a good, consistent brand that enacts great policies into law. Not one that’s sold to the highest bidder and seen as bad, but only better than the alternative.
What type of GOP do you want to see? Cheerleaders for the highest bidders? Or a principled organization that encourages accountability?
Rome, GA – On Monday, federal Judge Billy Ray heard arguments related to Catoosa GOP’s “freedom of association” lawsuit, and he did not grant Catoosa County Attorney Chris Harris’s motion to dismiss the case at this time.
This hearing follows a successful appeal to the 11th Circuit Court which recently affirmed the Catoosa GOP’s position, and remanded the case back to federal Judge Billy Ray.
“We are encouraged that multiple claims are definitely moving forward and are hopeful for a positive judicial decision on all the others,” said Alex Johnson, GRA Chairman and volunteer attorney for Catoosa GOP. “We are grateful we do not live in a country where the government can force political parties to associate with people who don’t share their values and principles.”
Catoosa GOP heroes, heroines and supporters outside the federal courthouse with attorney Alex Johnson in Rome after the hearing
Click to watch the video of the background story on the controversy between Catoosa GOP and Catoosa Commissioners
Catoosa County, located on Georgia’s border with Tennessee, voted 77% for Donald Trump in 2024. In State Senate District 53, Senator Colton Moore received 78% of the vote. These figures underscore the near impossibility of winning office in Catoosa County as a Democrat or third-party candidate. Consequently, control over access to the Republican primary ballot has become a fiercely contested issue.
Like many other deeply conservative counties in Georgia, the real political contest in Catoosa often occurs in the Republican primary rather than the general election.
Despite the local party’s objections, the Catoosa County Board of Elections voted 4–1 to place the four candidates’ names on the Republican primary ballot—over the GOP’s opposition and, the party contends, in violation of state law. The Catoosa GOP has since filed suit against the Board, alleging that its actions infringed upon the party’s constitutional right to freedom of association.
“Any claim related to the freedom of association should be dismissed,” argued Harris.
Attorney Johnson countered that allowing a government entity to dictate who a political party must accept on its primary ballot resembles the practices of countries such as North Korea or Cuba. Such a practice is wholly un-American and unconstitutional.
Judge Billy Ray
Judge Billy Ray gave both sides close scrutiny, posing pointed questions to each attorney and testing their arguments as though playing devil’s advocate.
The Ticking Clock and Looming Elections It was clear that both sides are eager to see this lawsuit resolved swiftly. Attorney Harris noted that the Board of Elections is seeking guidance for future elections, particularly with another primary approaching soon.
The stakes are high and tensions continue to rise, especially as another Catoosa County commissioner, Chuck Harris, faces re-election in 2026. Earlier this year, delegates at the Catoosa GOP County Convention voted to expel and ban him “from qualifying as a candidate of the Catoosa County Republican Party in any capacity.”
This motion (in the form of a resolution) which passed overwhelmingly, also demanded that:
“5. That CHUCK HARRIS is hereby demanded to cease and desist from calling himself a “Republican” or using his false claim of being a “Republican” for personal profit. 6. That CHUCK HARRIS is hereby banned from all property owned, leased, rented or in the control of the Catoosa County Republican Party and all events held by or under the authority of the Catoosa County Republican Party.”
The Court appeared to recognize the gravity of this case and the precedent it could set for county parties across Georgia.
“If you’re right, you’re right for everybody,” Judge Billy Ray told attorney Alex Johnson during the hearing. This may have been allusion to the pending order from the GA GOP State Convention delegation passed this past summer in a resolution to block Brad Raffensperger from running in the Republican Primary next year. . One of the questions the court raised was what specific harm could be demonstrated to come from voters seeing candidates’ names on the Republican primary ballot. While that question was not fully addressed in this hearing, the Catoosa GOP maintains that political parties are harmed when donors and grassroots activists withdraw their support—refusing to give, volunteer, or campaign—because of the party’s association with candidates who do not share its principles.
The 2025 Catoosa GOP Convention ha record-breaking attendance and affirmed the exercise of freedom of association rights
Many Republicans across Georgia have expressed frustration when they see candidates on the ballot (at the Federal, State, or local level) whose values appear inconsistent with the party’s platform. The damage grows when disillusioned voters, discouraged by the actions or reputations of certain politicians, choose to stay home on Election Day altogether – thereby never laying eyes on the candidates name at the polls.
Ballot Questions & Catoosa GOP’s Freedom of Speech
Another element of the lawsuit relates to the party’s free speech rights that were violated when the non-binding ballot questions that Catoosa GOP attempted to place on their primary ballot were denied.
“Is it your position that no matter what the content was, the ballot questions should be allowed?” Judge Ray asked Alex Johnson.
He questioned whether the state should allow questions that perhaps incited violence, or might be considered electioneering with the intent to sway voters. Johnson replied that, if the law allowed that speech, there could still be consequences, since the first amendment prohibits the government from restricting speech, but it doesn’t protect individuals from the consequences of their speech.
Judge Ray acknowledged that the statute says “shall” which doesn’t give the state much latitude. Johnson made the case that if ballot questions on a party’s primary may be denied for simply attempting to sway a voter on an issue, or lead a voter to a specific conclusion, one could argue the general ballot referendum questions have been electioneering for many years.
Catoosa GOP Needs Your Help
Chairwoman Joanna Hildreth and her volunteer team have remained steadfast throughout this battle, even expressing a willingness to face jail time in defense of their community’s right to preserve Republican integrity and resist Democrat-aligned public policy.
There will be another hearing for Catoosa GOP thisFriday, October 10th at 9:00am at the Catoosa County Courthouse 7694 Nashville St. Ringgold, GA 30736. Republicans are encouraged to attend and show their support for the resolute leaders of Catoosa GOP.
Judge Ray intends to hand down another decision sometime before 2026 qualifying begins, and GRA members are hopeful that the decision will affirm the Catoosa GOP’s constitutional rights.
If you cannot attend the hearing, please consider donating to the ongoing legal expenses, filing fees, and court costs that Catoosa GOP has sustained. Stay tuned for a link to donate to help.
