Georgia Republicans “Sharply Divided” As They Commence State GOP Convention

As “sharply divided Georgia Republicans” prepare for a “figurative bloodbath” over issues completely irrelevant to working Georgians at their biennial state convention, the GOP’s 2022 election woes are numerous. To recap:

• Governor Brian Kemp, scared of a competitive race, is desperately trying to drum up controversy and score political points with the party’s far-right base. 
• Attorney General Chris Carr continues to face backlash for his role in promoting the January 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. 
• Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is being primaried from the right.
• Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan isn’t even running for re-election because of how chaotic today’s GOP has become.
• Meanwhile, “big-name Republicans are skipping” the Georgia Senate race and Trump’s preferred candidate is still looming over the field – intensifying GOP worries about another messy, divisive, and all-too-expensive primary battle on the horizon.

In case you missed it, here are some primers for what’s to come:

What to expect at this weekend’s wild GOP convention
Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell // Atlanta Journal-Constitution

We’ve heard this weekend’s Georgia GOP convention described multiple different ways from anxious Republican insiders: A reckoning. A wakeup call. A figurative bloodbath. More than anything, it’s likely to be a test of Donald Trump’s enduring influence in the party.

And as we’ve reported before, the state Republican Party is not in the mood for soul-searching despite major defeats in November’s presidential contest and January’s Senate runoffs.

Since then, many of the state GOP’s grassroots movers-and-shakers have only embraced Trump’s lies about widespread election fraud in Georgia — and echoed his attacks on party leaders who refused to overturn his defeat.

Republican divisions expected to highlight state convention
Dave Williams // Capitol Beat News Service

Sharply divided Georgia Republicans will gather on Jekyll Island June 4-5 for the party’s biennial state convention.

On one side of the split are loyalists to former President Donald Trump who believe last November’s election was stolen from him and that Democrat Joe Biden is not a legitimate president. On the other side are Republicans disappointed with but accepting of Biden’s victory who believe dwelling on Trump’s defeat is hurting the party’s future prospects.

“Less than a year out from their primaries, the Georgia GOP is an absolute mess,” said Rebecca Galanti, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. ‘“As the Georgia GOP drives itself off the rails to please the far right, Georgia Democrats will be laser-focused on the issues that actually matter to Georgians – helping communities recover, expanding access to affordable health care and growing economic opportunities here at home.”

Georgia’s GOP State Convention Set To Be Pro-Trump, Anti-Establishment Affair
Stephen Fowler // Georgia Public Broadcasting

When Republican delegates from around the state arrive at the Jekyll Island Convention Center for the state GOP convention this Friday and Saturday, the biggest question won’t be if die-hard Trump supporters have a place in the party, but rather if there’s room for anyone else.

There has been little reflection on the policies, candidates or messaging that contributed to Democratic victories, with both rank-and-file members and top party brass zeroing in on the specter of voter fraud as the cause of 2020’s undesired outcome and having the effect of sweeping legislative changes to voting during the legislative session.

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