This weekend, thousands of grassroots Republicans will gather in Augusta to elect a new chairman to lead the state GOP. With a new President in the White House, nothing could be more important for Georgia Republicans than to embrace a leader with a bold vision for our state.
President Donald Trump has big ideas to save this country, from cutting wasteful spending in Washington and reducing the tax burden on families and businesses, to repealing and replacing Obamacare. Many of the President’s ideas embrace federalism – or sending programs back to the states, including Medicaid and funding for school choice. This would allow state officials to decide what works best for their citizens.
That's why the election of a new GOP chairman in Georgia is so crucial. We need a leader who not only embraces conservative ideas but who will recruit candidates to enact conservative policies.
There is no point in repealing and replacing Obamacare, for example, and sending many decisions back to the states if state officials refuse bold change that will save consumers money or restore the doctor-patient relationship.
We cannot afford to have weak Republicans within our ranks as the Trump agenda will need enacting on the state level. We need a courageous, conservative governor, state legislators, school superintendent and insurance commissioner to put in place policies that enable freedom.
It will take state and local cooperation to give parents the option to send their child to a school other than the one assigned to them by their address. A strong GOP chairman can recruit candidates who truly believe these types of policies benefit all Georgians.
There are other reasons why this chairman’s race is critical in the history of the Georgia GOP. Just 12 years ago, the party took the majority of all three branches of state government – the first time since Reconstruction. It was a big time in Republican history as the Georgia House, Senate and Gov. Sonny Perdue enacted bold, conservative ideas, from medical malpractice reform to a voter ID requirement to increased abortion restrictions. There was much unity in the GOP agenda in the state.
Now there appears to be many factions as the grassroots wants protections for religious liberty and abhors legalizing marijuana and casino gambling. Special interests now influence many who govern the state capitol, discouraging them from governing like conservatives.
A strong chairman will recruit candidates for governor, the Legislature, Congress and local offices who listen to the grassroots, communicate with them and support protecting freedom.
There is no doubt the state of Georgia is changing. We have thousands of newcomers from across the country moving here daily, and Georgia’s population is projected to grow by four million, to 15 million people, by 2030.
In many once-GOP strongholds in suburban areas of Atlanta, we are losing support as minorities and women are lured to big-spending ideas of the Democrat Party.
Republicans need a chairman with the ability to reach out to minorities and women and bridge support into this next decade. The chairman I support will communicate to these potential newcomers that conservatives promote ideas that help their families, such as being able to pick the school of their choice, making it easier to start a business and bringing home a larger paycheck, thanks to tax cuts.
What the GOP doesn’t need is an unreliable conservative who has a history of voting for, or writing checks to, liberals that undermine the values of our country.
After eight long, destructive years of Barack Obama, our nation has a rare opportunity to repair much of the damage of his presidency. But Trump needs partners on the state level who will stand strong with him to make our country great again. As the Georgia GOP voters meet this weekend, they can cast one more vote for real change — by choosing a chairman who sides with them and not the Establishment.
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