If you had $20 on this parlay, you’d be a big winner tonight!
With many of us on the ground in Columbus watching the results in real-time, including our very own The Honorable Former State Representative Turned Lobbyist Promoted to Editor-in-Chief Before Becoming Owner and Monetizer of Peach Pundit and Now Emerging Popcorn Distributor, these results are a bit…odd. However, I think the reflect the reality of how detached from normal people the GOP has become. And, to be honest, how far from the GRA the GOP has now become (more on this in a moment).
Which is why the parlay card of victors tonight would be worth gold. Winners for the respective GOP offices are:
Chairman – Josh McKoon
1st Vice Chairman – Brian K. Pritchard
2nd Vice Chairman – David Cross
Treasurer – Laurie McClain
Assistant Treasurer – Jenny Eckman
Secretary – Caroline Jeffords
Assistant Secretary – Suzi Voyles
Over 80k Caucus Chair – Salleigh Grubbs
Under 80k Caucus Chair – Kathy Hurley
We’ll have posts to follow by a number of us with analysis about these results and what they mean, but let’s just point out some highlights:
- The GRA lost 5 of the 9 party executive positions they endorsed candidates in (remember that 2 of them are caucus elections and not voted on by the convention). What’s more notable is their endorsed candidate for Chairman, Josh McKoon, did win his elected but stated emphatically his opposition to Alex Johnson Rule much to the chagrin of Comrade Johnson.
- These candidates represent a wholesale rejection of both the “establishment” and the GRA. Brian K. Pritchard openly called out (now former) Second Vice Chair Brant Frost IV’s son not more than a week or two ago for lying.
- Chairman McKoon was going to have a hard job. It either became impossible for him or it became indescribably easy after his down ticket results. This executive board is not interested in governing the GOP, especially near the top. County parties, already thirsty for something from the state, may be out on their own after all this.
- Brian Kemp’s political operation has to be giggling.
We live in strange times. We’re about to see how strange they will really get.