We at the GRA wish you and yours a happy Thanksgiving Day tomorrow as we celebrate the blessings of God upon our nation! These blessings were particularly evident in the recent general election as we saw NFRA-endorsed Donald Trump re-elected as U.S. President, and Republicans win back the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House!

We’re also thankful for a newly emerging breed of local and state Republican leaders like State Senator Colton Moore (District 53) who are providing a higher caliber of Republican in Georgia—focused on advancing Republican principles.

I recently had the delight of joining Senator Moore, Rep. Charlice Byrd (District 20) and former State Rep. Matt Gurtler (now Chief of Staff to Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky) at Moore’s Machine Gun Shootout in northwest Georgia. We had a blast celebrating together the recent wins.

Moore has been a voice of conviction for truth in the state legislature when many others shrink in cowardice. For example, you may have seen Moore’s recent reaction when Laken Riley’s murderer was convicted. Moore immediately called for GA’s Attorney General Chris Carr to act so that the convicted murderer would receive capital punishment, but do-nothing Carr continues to sit on his hands as usual in failing to enforce critical Georgia laws.

The Word of God says that the best way to protect innocent life is with the death penalty against those who would destroy it. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man” (Genesis 9:12). This is much of the reason for why we stand for gun rights in America: Everyone has the right to defend himself with deadly force against those who would threaten him with deadly force. 

But after a crime has occurred, God has delegated the authority and responsibility only to civil government to impose capital punishment for convicted murderers who have received due process. (See Exodus 21:12; Romans 13:3-4.) The brutal murder of Laken Riley deserves such a punishment.

But instead the taxpayers are being forced to provide Riley’s vicious murderer with free room and board for the rest of his life.

And yet Mr. Carr is not only ignoring the necessary action, but he’s apparently tone deaf enough to have announced he’s the first candidate to run as Georgia’s next so-called “Republican” Governor. We hope better candidates will enter that race in the days to come.

In the meantime, the GRA is going to continue to work alongside and support courageous and principled champions such as Colton Moore and resist the RINOswho would make America pathetic again.

The Bible teaches clearly that the role of Civil Government is to do justice, not charity, and not economic development. We look forward to the day when civil government gives more attention to doing real justice for victims, and less attention to micro-managing people’s lives and livelihoods.

To Whom Are You Thankful?

The Pilgrim fathers who gathered in Plymouth for the first Thanksgiving Day knew exactly to whom they owed gratitude. Likewise, President George Washington made it abundantly clear who our nation should be thankful for in his first national Thanksgiving proclamation.

Being thankful always requires an object of that gratitude.

The other day I was listening to a high school teacher explain to his students how the word “love” only makes sense if there is a specific target of that love. In grammar, words like “love” are what they call transitive verbs. No matter what the Democrats say, one is not simply a love person or a hate person. Everyone loves something and everyone hates something. Usually, we hate that which opposes what we love. It is the same with being thankful. Thankfulness is not just a warm fuzzy floating around in our feelings directed at no one in particular. We must have an object.

Who is the object of your thanksgiving this year? Hopefully, we are counting our blessings and thanking our families for their support throughout the daily grind. Tell them how much you appreciate them. Being grateful is good for the soul.

We should also be grateful for all of the hard-working volunteers in the GOP who made the recent victories possible. They worked tirelessly for the families in their community, who will all benefit from Republican policies, but never know who made it happen and will likely never express their gratitude.

There are many people we should thank. But most of all, we must give thanks to God.

This need is particularly underscored when we witness remarkable acts of providence and blessing for which mere coincidence cannot adequately account. Events like Donald Trump turning his head at just the right split second to only be grazed on the ear by a would-be assassin’s bullet.

Such events do not play out that way without, as George Washington would say, “the finger of providence” being in it.

Thanking God necessarily means we are acknowledging our dependence upon Him, and thus are acknowledging our need to trust and obey Him above all others as we continue to live.

We are thanking God with you this week! Together let us seek His wisdom and blessing as we work to improve Georgia. He has granted us a merciful reprievein the recent election results. Let us make the most of it.

We have not achieved success merely because Republicans were elected. We have achieved success when Republicans policies get enacted into law. So our work to provide accountability begins today.

If you are not currently engaged in the Republican Party, or if you would like to be more effective at advancing the principles and fighting off Democrats and Establishment RINOs, we invite you to contribute to our outreach in Georgia! Join the team of grateful warriors.

We’re in the final stretch of the general election campaign season, and the GRA is busy all across the state, working to make the biggest impact possible on November 5th!

Last week, several of us from the GRA Board were pleased to support our GRA-member Denise Burns, the Chairwoman of the 14th Congressional District GA GOP, in her special fundraiser dinner featuring hero journalist Tucker Carlson and GRA-endorsed Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14) at the beautiful new McClemore Resort in Senator Colton Moore‘s district of northwest Georgia. This event was primarily organized, promoted, and coordinated by GRA-members who lead the 14th District GA GOP Committee, especially Denise, Joanna Hildreth, and Jackie Harling, with help from others in the district.

As the Treasurer of the 14th GA GOP, I was thankful that the event turned out to be such a success. It was not the Buckhead corporate lobbyists who came to the rescue to sponsor the dinner, but many regular grassroots folks in north Georgia and Tennessee who admire the courageous efforts Tucker and Marjorie have taken for the well-being of the country — even when it has cost them dearly. The event ended up raising over $200,000 (gross), which is far more than we have ever seen a congressional district GOP organization in the state raise all at once!

In addition, at the dinner VoterGA‘s Garland Favorito presented Tucker with the “Truth in Journalism” award for exposing evidence of tampering and fraud from the 2020 election on his old FoxNews show before he was forced to leave that network.

Those of us on the 14th District Committee met shortly thereafter to put these hard-earned funds immediately to good use to help our key Republican nominees in the district facing Democrat opposition. GRA-endorsed candidate Gary Chaffee, for example, received the maximum contribution for his State House race. But the committee was also careful to reward only principled Republican candidates, not RINO incumbents who can get backing from Speaker Burn‘s House “Republican” Caucus, where their loyalties obviously lie. I’m proud of the committee for taking that approach. It is good to reward real Republicans who actually uphold and advance the principles of the platform.

Meanwhile, Georgia has been seeing new records of early voting turnout around the state. Have you voted yet?

GRA members have been volunteering as poll workers and poll watchers. We’ve been out door-knocking and sign-waving for local Republican candidates. In-between the work, some of us have managed to squeeze in a rally or two with Trump or J.D. Vance.

There are only 15 days left before the polls close on Election Day. We need to make hay while the sun shines!

Tuesday evening GRA members will have a Zoom call with Trump attorney (and fellow graduate from my law school alma mater) Mark Meuser from California.

It will be vital that we be all on the same page and coordinated about how to handle any possible election fraud that comes to light on November 5th.

Since we still have to put up with the Dominion voting machine systems for this election, please be sure to encourage all of your friends and family to be careful to review their printed ballot before submitting it to ensure the selections match the choices made on the computer touch screen. There have already been reports of inaccurate printed ballots in some cases.

Let’s stay vigilant and keep pressing on for victory!

We’d like to invite you to join us on Thursday evening, August 22nd, for a special pre-release showing of the final cut of the Reagan Movie! About twelve years ago, when I was paying my way through law school while working as a film editor in San Antonio, I had the pleasure of meeting the filmmakers behind this movie when it was in the early stages of pre-production. I can’t tell you how excited I am that they finally got it made after all these years!

My wife and I had the delight of seeing an early cut of the film back in May, and it brought tears to our eyes. While there are many excellent documentaries about the life of our 40th President, we have never seen a dramatic film made about him before that was not out to make him look like a bafoon or heartless. What people will see in this film is a moving depiction of Reagan’s heroic presidency in spite of his flaws. It pays honor to a man who helped to tun the tide of American history. The Republican Party, and the world, has not been the same since Ronald Reagan.

So what a great way for us to get in the mood right before campaigning gets into high gear for the November General Election than to go and see this movie together! Supporting the movie will also support the brave independent filmmakers who have labored for so long to bring this to the screen.

Come join us on Thursday evening, August 22nd, at 6:00pm for this special pre-release showing of the FINAL CUT of the new Reagan Movie — hosted by the Cobb County Republican Assembly chapter! The showing will be at the NCG Acworth Movie Theater. Those who register will receive a drink and popcorn along with their movie ticket!

Seating is limited! There is an early bird $5 discount if you register before August 20th.

Here is a summary of the event:

Reagan Movie Night
Location: NCG Acworth Movie Theater
4421 Cinema Dr, Acworth, GA 30101
Time: 6:00pm EST
Cost: $35 for movie, popcorn, & drink

Funds raised go to the support of local Republican candidates in the general election.

Click here if you would like to register for the REAGAN MOVIE Night.

Ringgold, GA – When 77-year-old widow Sherre Bales asked what was involved in the open Catoosa GOP Secretary position, she had no clue that her involvement might eventually lead to crippling fines and prospective time in the County jail. She was told the duties would include taking minutes and keeping records, which sounded easy enough. 

Sherre grew up around politics knocking Chattanooga doors with her parents at the age of 14 and occasionally making phone calls to Republican voters. Now as a semi-retired real estate agent, struggling to make a commission in Biden’s economy, her volunteer service to her community may cost her dearly. 

Sherre is one of the Catoosa GOP officers that was ordered by a local judge to refrain from refusing to qualify four commission candidates after they were denied access to the Republican primary ballot for their lack of adherence to Republican policies. For refusing, she and her fellow GOP officers  faced $1,000 per hour fines and jail time. 

Sherre’s political involvement has been occasional throughout her adult life and was almost never paid work. It was something she did as a volunteer at different stages of her life in between raising children and starting her business. 

“I’m pretty friendly and personable, so I’m good at door to door,” she said. 

Like many GOP volunteers who tirelessly put up campaign signs, make phone calls and wear out their tennis shoes door-knocking, Sherre had experienced the disappointment of having a candidate she volunteered for “turn RINO” after getting elected. 

“They would change from what they campaigned on,” said Sherre.

Regret. Betrayal. Disillusion. Exploitation. 

It is difficult to describe the intense feelings of a volunteer who believed in the policies that a candidate talked about, was motivated enough to put time and sweat behind that campaign, only to be double-crossed when the politician changed their tune after getting elected. This was a common theme among Sherre’s different volunteer experiences working for Republican candidates. 

Like most voters, Sherre had never personally attended a county commission meeting until she got elected Secretary in 2021. By 2023 the community was embroiled in a battle for the freedom to keep backyard chickens with 100 or more citizens showing up at Commission meetings to voice concerns about a new chicken ordinance. At these meetings families would beg their Commissioners to let them keep their chickens and give them a chance to experience the health, economic, and educational benefits for their children. 

“There was so much going on about the chickens and I thought, ‘I guess I had better go since I’m the Secretary of the party.’” Sherre was not prepared for what she saw at the Commission meeting that night.

“I was just floored by how the public was treated. It made me so mad. I felt like [the commissioners] were just overlording over us as minions. It was frustrating and humiliating.”

The Catoosa Commissioners have developed a reputation of not caring what the people think, not treating them with respect, and ignoring the hundreds of citizens that would show up to voice concerns about their actions. The commissioners changed the agenda of the meetings to put public comments at the end, after all the voting and decision making was finished. 

All of the Commissioners claim to be Republicans, and every election season there is an expectation that GOP volunteers like Sherre have a responsibility to help rally the vote for all Republican candidates.

The Catoosa GOP had been frustrated with the commissioners for years, and Sherre and the other officers felt hopeful about the new Accountability Rule and the process that was established to determine if a candidate really shared the values of the Republican Party. 

“Every GOP local party needs to be able to vet their candidates. I know we’ve got some non-Republicans running. You could have a socialist or communist, and if you don’t vet them, people could get in under wire,” she said.

The rule implemented a new practice for Catoosa county, but not a new concept. The state level Republican Party exercises the freedom of association in whom they allow on the Republican presidential preference primary ballot. 

 “It was kind of like a leap of faith that we could do it.”

Sherre’s signature was required on the official copy of the new party rules, and they were filed with the elections office in the same way as they had been filed for many years, and by many GOP Secretaries prior to Sherre. As an officer of the party, Sherre was one of the 16 members of the County Committee who had a vote on which candidates they believed met the minimum standard to be considered a Republican. Sherre was present during all the candidate interviews. 

“We were pretty somber. I was nervous about what was going to happen after we listened to all the candidates.”

“I did not have my mind made up on anybody when it came down to voting. People can say anything, but I went by what their voting record was [while in office]. It was not personalities, it was voting record. We knew this was a big thing and it was unprecedented. We took each candidate and we discussed them and then we voted. Everybody voted from their heart.”

Most of the candidates that interviewed with the party were qualified, and only four were denied – the notorious incumbent commissioners and a former commission chairman: Steven Henry, Vanita Hullender, Larry Black, and Jeff Long.

Less than a week later the Catoosa GOP volunteers were being sued by the four candidates and the judge ordered the Catoosa GOP to sign the qualifying papers approving the candidates as a Republican, or else. 

“I was really taken aback when we were threatened with 20 days in jail and thousands of dollars of fines.”

“To go against the court… that’s not how I was raised. I was raised to abide by the law – what was said in court was to be followed. But in this case, I couldn’t. I was Secretary of the Committee. The committee voted this way and that was the way it was going to be.”

She was driven by a sense of duty. Her commitment to her office, and her principles constrained Sherre to abide by the agreed upon rules of the party. 

She knew she wasn’t in it alone. The GOP leaders prayed together before they went into the courtroom. 

“Our faith is getting us through this.”

Sherre talked to her adult son and two daughters about the situation as well. They said it was ridiculous that the commissioners can throw their weight around. 

“You just stand firm, Mom.”

The Catoosa GOP county committee was pretty tight-knit already but this experience really bonded them. Some shed tears, some were quietly resolute, fully prepared to suffer for what they knew was right.

 “It was difficult. We were crying. We’re gonna do it, but it’s hard and we’re scared. We had to stick together.”

Sherre had already given up a lot of her time away from her grandchildren, her real estate business, and her cats to serve the cause she believed in, but this was a real test of dedication. Now she was spending long hours in the courtroom anxiously waiting to see if she and her fellow officers would be put in jail like common criminals. 

The case is being appealed and Sherre is eager to hear the decision of Judge Billy Ray in the Rome-based federal court, as well as the other courts addressing different aspects of this controversy.

“If the judge imposes those fines, I’d be pretty mad and pretty scared. Where am I gonna get that?“ 

Sherre never envisioned herself being in a position like this at 77-years-old, but she doesn’t regret her actions. 

“I’m happy we did it. I will go to the Supreme Court with this if we have to. We have got to set a precedent that local parties can vet their candidates.”

Meanwhile, Sherre has been chosen to represent Northwest Georgia at the Republican National Convention this Summer. She was elected unanimously by the roughly 200 delegates at the 14th District GOP Convention as an alternate. These same delegates overwhelmingly passed a resolution supporting the freedom of association and the recent actions of the Catoosa GOP. Sherre has loved attending Trump rallies and it will be the experience of a lifetime for her to be able to see Donald J Trump nominated for President. 

“What an adventure I’ve been on! Threatened with jail and a bunch of money and now going to the RNC,” she said.

“This is going to be the icing on the cake of my Republican career!”