Convention Season, amirite?
The bloodletting continues in the Georgia Republican Party. GRA affiliated and oriented candidates cleaned up in districts across the State. Just as notable, the lovely resolution crowd showed up to flex their (what they consider) muscles. If you have any tips that you’d like to share, comment on the article or post on Facebook, visit my very own tipline at gagrifter.com, or even text me now at (706) 717-7673.
Before the recaps I have (and, I hope to get some more details from everywhere!), let’s just state the obvious. The Republican Party is less interested in winning than it is exacting revenge and displaying aggression. While one can understand the fixation, I find myself in awe of how we as Republicans can appreciate it. Fewer Americans genuinely care about being part of a culture war. Instead, Democrat and Republican acolytes double-down on their fight. Then, most of us are stuck between choosing over which loon to elect.
However, in states like Georgia where a loon (Stacey Abrams) was up against someone focused on core quality of life issues (Brian Kemp), we saw what happened. Which just makes the convention process all the more perplexing. We know at least a million people in the State of Georgia found a reason to consider themselves a Republican based on the turnout in the 2022 primaries. Closer to 1.2 million to be exact. They voted overwhelmingly for candidates that cared about dinner table issues.
The GOP as an institution is not the GOP as an electorate. We’ve written about that numerous times here at the Peach. Today just chiseled that into stone. The party is dead. The only thing that protects is now are the legal structures that codify its existence. Now, onto the recaps.
CD1: Kandiss Taylor, the fine-tailed booty of a Senate and Gubernatorial candidate, finally struck gold and won election as the First Congressional District Chairman. Now, bear in mind that Kandiss Taylor won 3.42% and 0.82% running for Governor and U.S. Senate, respectively. More notable about the convention was the failed resolution that would have called for the complete excommunication of any homosexual from being part of the GOP. It apparently failed. James Hall, our creepy in a cute way fanboy from Savannah, has been quite perturbed at the results.
CD5: Nothing super notable. Fake elector and prior Democratic donor Brad Carver was re-elected Chairman, letting the GRA now that your will be damned. The 5th District ain’t gonna take kindly to “real” conservatives telling them what to do, as evidenced by the passage of a pro-Log Cabin Republicans series of resolutions. That said, the 5th has generally been a haven for the undesirable monied interests of the GOP.
CD6: Donna Watson, a jovial lass who actually understands that work has to be done, won her election as District Chairwoman today. Some critics were unimpressed by her lack of conviction on issues regarding “voter integrity,” but that generally just meant she wasn’t willing to rehash 2020 continuously. Time will tell if she’s able to keep the ship afloat in the now solidly red 6th District.
CD8: The board went unchallenged so, apparently, elections went pretty smoothly in the 8th CD. However, from what we understand, Chairman Chan Jones straight up lit into current GAGOP leadership. I mean, straight up. The district by a wide margin rejected a resolution that would have called on the GAGOP to reinstate the Log Cabin Republicans as an official auxiliary akin to the Republican Women, Young and College Republicans, and others.
CD9: This convention was last week. From what we understand, the best run district in the state from an institutional perspective elected some consistent leadership that have proven adept at maintaining the right course. Carl Blackburn was elected Chairman.
CD11: This has, for years, been a prime target for the GRA and they struck pay dirt. They ousted longtime party activist Lisa Adkins in favor of new Chairman David Oles from Pickens County. You’ll remember that Lisa showed up to the circus that became of the Cherokee convention to provide some guidance (or derail the proceedings – depending on which side you ask).
CD14: The slate largely went unopposed, including accused felon Nathaniel Darnell. This has long been a GRA stronghold, though, and even more so with the rightward swing in Paulding County and as the adopted home turf of America’s sweetheart Marjorie Taylor Greene. However, the district passed a resolution censuring legislators who voted for the recently passed health care legislation, but ignored those in district that voted with Democrats to kill school choice.
Note: We’ll update content with more information that is provided on other districts. Last update on 4/22 @ 9:20pm.
