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.
Anaheim, CA — Last weekend delegates from the GRA joined with NFRA members from around the country who overwhelmingly approved adding election integrity to the Principles of the NFRA. The NFRA 2025 Biennial Convention was held at the Hilton Anaheim and was hosted by the California Republican Assembly, the state chapter that originally launched the Republican Assembly back in the 1930s.
The Missouri Republican Assembly delegation led a successful effort in the meeting to ensure the RA Principles could not be changed without a 2/3rds vote of approval. On the heels of this subject, GRA President Nathaniel Darnell made a motion to add a plank supporting Election Integrity to the list of core Republican Principles. This was a suggestion of a GRA member earlier this year. “I believe our members all across the country would overwhelmingly support adding Election Integrity to the list of principles!” declared Darnell.
One of the delegates from another state asked why the issue couldn’t simply be addressed in a resolution.
“Election Integrity is not just a temporary issue that we might want to address in a resolution because of recent circumstances,” Darnell answered. “It is on-going issue that requires permanent adherence. Recent elections since 2020 have only drawn attention to the extent of the problem. But we need to make clear that this is a universal issue that will require eternal vigilance!”
Christy Haik, the Louisiana RA President, also stressed the importance of adding this subject to the list of principles now. She reported on the problems Louisiana has been dealing with on Election Integrity reform with their Secretary of State.
Debate on the exact working of the statement on Election Integrity ensued in the Board Meeting. As a result, Darnell made a motion that NFRA President Alex Johnson appoint a sub-committee to craft the exact wording over the weekend and present it to Board for approval on the final day of the convention. The motion was approved, and Johnson appointed Haik as the Chairwoman of the sub-committee, calling for other Board members with a strong opinion on Election Integrity reform to volunteer to serve on the committee. Among those appointed to the committee were Mark Mnich from Connecticut, California RA President Carl Brickey, and Darnell from Georgia.
The sub-committee met to assemble the key ideas they wanted to be included in the statement. Several advocated that the issue to be stated as a general principle, and not to be so specific as to sound like a policy statement. The final wording of the statement was assembled by Mnich.
In presenting the statement to the Board on the final day of the convention, Haik said, “I think we’ve got a really nice wording. This would be our 14th principle.”
Watch Louisiana RA President Christy Haik introduce the new Statement on Election Integrity.
The drafted statement read:
“ELECTION INTEGRITY: “We believe that free and fair elections are essential to preserving our Republic. Preventing fraudulent ballots from being submitted or counted is key to safeguarding our basic civil right of one citizen, one vote. To ensure that our elections are secure, transparent, and auditable, we advocate for using hand-marked certifiable paper ballots counted at the precinct level, instead of electronic voting machines, for requiring government-issued photo ID, for cleaning voter rolls regularly, and for allowing only U.S. citizens to vote.”
This draft was adopted unanimously by the NFRA Board. You can view the statement on the NFRA’s Statement of Principles, as well as the GRA’s Statement of Principles as an affiliate state organization of the NFRA. The GRA stands resolutely in favor of meaningful election integrity reform that will ensure our elections are trustworthy and transparent moving forward and urges our elected Republican officials in Atlanta to do everything within their power to accomplish that objective.
Seven of the GRA delegates who participated in the 2025 NFRA Convention (L to R): Tom Talbot, Catherine Bernard, Abigail Darnell, Nathaniel Darnell, Alex Johnson, David Oles, and Sheryl Vickery
Ron Hooper from Banks County collects the paper ballots.
Gainesville, GA — Thursday evening, GRA members living in counties surrounding the Lake Lanier area of northeast Georgia, gathered to host a re-chartering meeting of the Lanier Republican Assembly chapter. GRA President Nathaniel Darnell welcomed the new chapter with an introduction at the meeting, and GRA Chairman Alex Johnson presided over the business of the meeting.
Tom Hertel from Gainesville was elected as the new chapter President, and Jim Hammock was elected as the Vice President. Both Norine Cantor and Cindiella Nixon were nominated for the position of Secretary. After a vote using paper ballots, the Cindiella Nixon from Gwinnett County was declared the winner of that race.
Tom Talbot was elected the chapter’s Treasurer without any opposition.
The Lanier Republican Assembly chapter includes a wide group of counties in northeast Georgia, and these folks came out to represent their communities, including Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Jackson, Hall and Lumpkin counties.
At 7:00pm tonight, the GRA is releasing the above video with the latest report on its outreach. Check out the premiere, and if you aren’t yet a part over the movement, join us now!
Atlanta, GA – On Monday, Georgia legislators explored a change to state law to allow doctors to write lethal prescriptions to facilitate suicide (instead of employing suicide prevention) for patients who have a terminal diagnosis. This sounded alarm bells for GRA members and pro-life advocates who believe the state should recognize and affirm the value of all innocent human life, including the lives of the elderly, disabled, and terminally ill.
Rep. Sharon Cooper
“This is a learning committee meeting,” said Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) Chairman of the Public Health Committee as she introduced the presenting organizations.
The assisted suicide concept was presented to the committee under the benign-sounding euphemism “Medical Aid in Dying” (MAID), which is misleading since hospice and palliative care are already widely available to provide comfort measures before natural death.
If adopted, the suicide prescription would be limited to victims who are over 18 years old, have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and are capable of administering the drug themself, thus taking their own life with the help of medical professionals.
Currently in Georgia, it is a felony to assist someone to commit suicide per GA Code § 16-5-5 – but MAID would change that.
“[Under MAID] everbody is protected from criminal and civil liabilities,” said Dr. Adrienne Mims, one of the presenters. Dr. Mims was appointed by the governor to the Georgia Older Adults Cabinet and the Georgia Council on Aging.
The committee examined data from Oregon where physician assisted suicide has been legal for many years.
“What we find is, although more than 4,000 prescriptions were written, only 66% of those were used,” said Dr. Mims.
This indicates that one-third of those who requested the suicide pill did not take it. For those who take it, if they change their mind, there is no recourse. “There is no antidote,” said Mims.
Once a patient ingests the lethal cocktail of drugs, they lose consciousness in about 10 minutes and are dead within about an hour. As with any suicide, the family and friends of the victim would be left to mourn the fatal decision, discover the body, and wonder if they were in some way responsible. If you have ever attended the funeral of a suicide victim, you know the shock and trauma it causes for the family. They are often plagued with questions like:
“Was it something I said that led him to this?”
“Should I have done more to reach out and support him?”
“Could I have prevented him making this decision?”
Thankfully, Rep. Scott Hilton (R- Peachtree Corners) raised concerns about the suicide drug to his colleagues calling it “morally abhorrent.”
Loopholes for Murder?
The patient would have to request the deadly prescription in writing, which raises concerns about the possibility of coercion and abuse from one’s caregivers or heirs who might be able to forge the patient’s signature. Once Grandma is sent home with the prescription how would anyone know if she self-administered the lethal drug voluntarily and knowingly or not? If it was concealed in other medications, or if there was a struggle, who would know?
During the meeting it was mentioned that this deadly dose could even come to the victims house through the mail!
Some might argue that potential loopholes are not a big concern in these cases because the patient had a terminal illness, and was going to die anyway. This thinking represents an obvious assault on the sanctity of life, and has led to the creation of organizations like Not Dead Yet that advocate for the rights of patients with a terminal diagnosis.
We believe Georgia law should recognize and protect the lives of terminally ill patients just like anyone else. The GAGOP platform and resolutions passed over the years have repeatedly affirmed the right to life for all innocent human beings. Any loopholes that might provide cover for murder, jeopardizing lives of vulnerable patients should be a massive concern.
Who Benefits from MAID?
Legislation like this begs the question, who stands to benefit from this change?
The official narrative would have you to believe this effort is all about allowing sick people to engage in the ultimate act of autonomy by choosing to die on their own terms in defiance of their Creator. But the reality is that most legislation is driven by money, and behind all the sob stories and compassionate language stands the health insurance companies who could save a ton of money by encouraging suicide instead of natural death.
Someone who believes in eugenics might regard potential loopholes for murder as a feature not a defect in the law since people tend to wrack up their largest medical expenses at the end of life representing high costs for the taxpayer (because medicine has become so heavily socialized) and/or the insurance companies who have an incentive to make suicide easy and attractive to sick people whom they regard as a “drain on the system.” Health insurance companies benefit from milking patients by collecting premiums and government subsidies for decades of the consumer’s life when they don’t need much medical assistance. Then, when they begin to need it, that’s when the industry looks for ways to drop them as a liability.
If physician assisted suicide is legalized in Georgia, might health insurance companies possibly be incentivized to say “we can’t pay for your chemotherapy, but assisted suicide is covered 100%,” thereby encouraging suicide?
These financial incentives are some of the many tragic eventual consequences of socialized medicine. Heartbreaking stories from Canada and Europe have shown us that physician-assisted suicide quickly leads to euthanasia.
Any assistance in suicide would seem to violate the “do no harm” clause in the Hippocratic Oath taken by many physicians and according to the Heritage Foundation, could open the door for the “practice of medicine to be corrupted.”
It comes as no surprise that Chairwoman Cooper, who appears to have initiated this explorative learning session about MAID, receives massive campaign contributionsfrom the healthcare industry (medical groups, individual doctors, Pfizer, etc.)
Rep. Cooper received a failing 37% on her GRA legislative scorecard this year after comparing her voting record to the principles of the Republican Party. Many Cobb County Republicans find it infuriating that, while running on the Republican ticket, Rep. Cooper has not allowed hearings on pro-life and medical freedom legislation, and instead gives priority to extreme ideas like assisted suicide and bills that grow government and benefit Big Pharma. Many find it disturbing that the GA Faith and Freedom Coalition for the last three years has given a perfect score (100% in 2025, 2024 , and 2023) to Rep. Cooper in spite of her record of opposition to public policy positions that Christians and Republicans usually support.
Misleading campaign literature claiming Cooper is “pro-life.”Misleading campaign literature claiming Cooper is “pro-life.”
Please join us in emailing the members of the Public Health Committee to let them know your thoughts on physician assisted suicide. Sometimes hearing from constituents can make all the difference. Experience has taught us that politicians need a lot of encouragement to do the right thing, so please also consider sending a message of gratitude and encouragement to Rep. Scott Hilton for his bold opposition to so-called “Medical Aid in Dying.”
