Georgia Republican Party
Encyclopedia
The Georgia Republican Party is one of the two major political parties in the U.S. state of Georgia
. It is affiliated with the United States Republican Party
(GOP).
is the titular head of the Georgia Republican Party. Sue Everhart is the current State Chairman. Kevin Harris is the acting Executive Director after Toby Carr, the previous Executive Director, accepted a position in Nathan Deal's gubernatorial administration. Alec Poitevint
, former State Chairman, serves as Republican National Committeeman representing Georgia. Linda Herren serves as the National Committeewoman. Republicans hold every elected position in the state for the first time since Reconstruction.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is responsible for promoting Republican campaign activities. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. Reince Priebus is the current Chairman of RNC, having won the last election after controversial Chairman Michael Steele withdrew his rebid nomination. The chairman of the RNC is chosen by the President when the Republicans have the White House or otherwise by the Party's state committees. Interestingly, there has never been a chairman from Georgia. The RNC, under the direction of the party's presidential candidate, supervises the Republican National Convention, raises funds, and coordinates campaign strategy. On the local level there are similar state committees in every state and most large cities, counties and legislative districts, but they have far less money and influence than the national body.
Current and recent officeholders were primarily known as Democrats until the gradual change of the South. It was also customary for Southern States to propel actual skilled candidates to office, not career politicians. Character and experience in the South is seemingly a bigger deal than a charismatic figure.
Immediately after the Civil War, the Union installed a Military General as Governor of Georgia during Reconstruction. At the time, African Americans made up 44% of the state, many who made dominated the Georgia Republican Party. They formed a coalition with whites from the northern mountainous part of Georgia to take control of the state legislature and elect Rufus Bulloch to be the states first Republican Governor in 1868. In 1871, Governor Bulloch fled into exile before he was impeached. And at that time, the Lieutenant Governor position was not formed so the President of the Georgia Senate, Benjamin Conley, took control of the unexpired term and became Georgia's second Republican Governor. Unfortunately for Mr. Conley, a special election was called just 72 days later and he was replaced with a Democrat.
These former democrats were known as the "Dixiecrats" and for the first time since the civil war, broke up their huge voting power due to the issues that have plagued the South for 100 years.
In 1966 Republican Howard Callaway
received the plurality of votes for governor but failed to win, when the election was decided by the Democratic Party
-controlled Georgia legislature. In the 1970s, amid the Watergate Scandal, the rise of Democratic President Jimmy Carter from Georgia, led to the self proclaimed "dark days" for the Republican Party that led to a decade of failed elections and tough incidents. Georgia Republicans struggled through the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to become a major party, occasionally winning victories such as the election of U.S. Senator Mack Mattingly in 1980, only to see those gains erased in subsequent elections. In 2002 Sonny Perdue was elected as the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction. He served as Governor from 2003-2011 for two terms.
Georgia Republican Party has sent many important Republicans to Washington including Newt Gingrich, and possibly Herman Cain. In the past 20 years, the party has played a key role in the impact that the National Republican Party has left. Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain continue to be top contenders in the 2012 Republican Presidential Election.
The social conservatives of the party tend to support teaching creationism alongside evolution. Although the GOP has voted for increases in government funding of scientific research, many members actively oppose the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research because it involves the harvesting and destruction of human embryos (which many consider ethically equivalent to abortion), while supporting for applying research money into adult stem cell research.
While most Republicans believe that the private sector is more effective in helping the poor than government, they nonetheless generally agree that there should be a way to assist the less fortunate. Rather than involve the government in the distribution of aid, however, many Republicans support the use of charities, to fund welfare spending. In recent years, Kentucky and Florida have created laws to drug test individuals who receive welfare which is seen as a Republican initiative. Additionally, most Republicans believe that limits on eligibility and benefits must be in place to ensure the safety net is not abused.
Members of the Republican party are generally opposed to a single-payer universal health care system, such as that found in Canada or in most of Europe, sometimes referring to it as "socialized medicine" and are in favor of the current personal or employer based system of insurance, supplemented by Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid, which covers a good variety of the poor. Notably, Republican candidate Bob Dole in 1996 proposed the same form of health care that Republicans tend to dub "ObamaCare".
Most Republicans favor free-market policies with as much trade as possible. Republicans support the notion of Reaganomics, an economic theory that was popularized by Ronald Reagan which holds that reduced income tax rates increase GDP growth and thereby generate more revenue for the government from the taxes on the extra growth. Its policy on taxes says to not tax the rich as they are "job creators". The party opposes to higher minimum wages because it believes that they its reduce production and hiring. Republicans, in general, oppose the contractual agreement by unions to regulate labor and reduce competition in the workplace.
The party has insisted on a system of greater accountability for public schools, most prominently in recent years with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Republican analysts and candidates for office often repeat that the government should not have as much influence in education as they currently do. Republicans would rather the public school system ran like a business, with CEOs, to get the most for the buck. Most Republicans support school choice through charter schools and education vouchers for private schools; and many have denounced the performance of the public school system and the teachers' unions.
The Republican Party supports a strong defense policy and is the more socially conservative and economically libertarian of the two major parties in the state of Georgia. The party generally supports lower taxes and limited government in some economic areas, although it does support government intervention in other areas. Georgian Republicans often identify themselves as far right, and far out of reach of the strong capitalism nature to the left of the Republican Party. Although the South is generally conservative, Georgia prides itself in being one of the more conservative states.
GOP elected officials/candidates oppose abortion on religious or moral grounds, oppose the legalization of same sex marriage, and favor faith-based initiatives. Most of the GOP's membership favors capital punishment and stricter punishments as a means to prevent crime. Republicans generally strongly support constitutionally protected gun ownership rights.
Recent Tea Party gains has put financial motivations of Republicans on the back burner, as conservatives have direct control of the Republican Party.
A study from 2001 to April 2011 shows that Georgia had the fifth lowest private sector job growth rate. Also, in July 2011, Georgia ranked 50th in job creation with a loss of 24,900 jobs from July 2010, to July 2011. The state's unemployment rate rose to 10.1 percent in the month of July.
On September 28, 2011, it was revealed that Georgia intends to move their Republican Primary to Super Tuesday by December 1. The party feels that it should play a bigger role due to its size and number of delegates, and is moving forward with the notion that it can have an important say in this next election. Georgia Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Everhart said that having an early primary would make Georgia a bigger player in 2012. She added that she did not want to see the state lose delegates by going before March. "Since we became a red state, they haven't paid much attention to us," Everhart said, referring to GOP candidates and the RNC. "They use us as a donor state."
The cartoon's image was taken from one of Aesop’s fables, “The Ass in the Lion’s Skin.” It follows up with, “At last coming upon a fox, he [the ass] tried to frighten him also, but the fox no sooner heard the sound of his voice than he exclaimed, ‘I might possibly have been frightened myself, if I had not hear your bray.’”
"The moral of the fable is that although a fool may disguise his appearance, his words will reveal his true nature. To Nast, the New York Herald is not a roaring lion to be feared, but a braying ass to be ridiculed. The reference in the citation to “Shakespeare or Bacon” is a jibe at Bennett’s contention that Shakespeare’s works were actually written by Sir Francis Bacon."
In modern day, the symbol of the elephant is seen as a regular commodity, showing up on campaign merchandise and other party materials. Ordinary people would most likely not understand the rise of the elephant, or its history, but understand the symbolic nature of the beast in today's political climate.
The elephant for the GOP rivals the Democrats' donkey.
Federal
State
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. It is affiliated with the United States Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
(GOP).
Current structure
Governor Nathan DealNathan Deal
John Nathan Deal is a United States politician, the 82nd and current Governor of Georgia. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992 but switched to the Republican Party in 1995...
is the titular head of the Georgia Republican Party. Sue Everhart is the current State Chairman. Kevin Harris is the acting Executive Director after Toby Carr, the previous Executive Director, accepted a position in Nathan Deal's gubernatorial administration. Alec Poitevint
Alec Poitevint
Alec L. Poitevint II is a Georgia businessman and longtime official of the U.S. Republican Party . In February 2011, he was named by GOP Chairman Reince Priebus to manage the 2012 Republican National Convention, to be held in Tampa beginning on August 27, 2012...
, former State Chairman, serves as Republican National Committeeman representing Georgia. Linda Herren serves as the National Committeewoman. Republicans hold every elected position in the state for the first time since Reconstruction.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is responsible for promoting Republican campaign activities. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. Reince Priebus is the current Chairman of RNC, having won the last election after controversial Chairman Michael Steele withdrew his rebid nomination. The chairman of the RNC is chosen by the President when the Republicans have the White House or otherwise by the Party's state committees. Interestingly, there has never been a chairman from Georgia. The RNC, under the direction of the party's presidential candidate, supervises the Republican National Convention, raises funds, and coordinates campaign strategy. On the local level there are similar state committees in every state and most large cities, counties and legislative districts, but they have far less money and influence than the national body.
Current and recent officeholders were primarily known as Democrats until the gradual change of the South. It was also customary for Southern States to propel actual skilled candidates to office, not career politicians. Character and experience in the South is seemingly a bigger deal than a charismatic figure.
History
Immediately after the Civil War, the Union installed a Military General as Governor of Georgia during Reconstruction. At the time, African Americans made up 44% of the state, many who made dominated the Georgia Republican Party. They formed a coalition with whites from the northern mountainous part of Georgia to take control of the state legislature and elect Rufus Bulloch to be the states first Republican Governor in 1868. In 1871, Governor Bulloch fled into exile before he was impeached. And at that time, the Lieutenant Governor position was not formed so the President of the Georgia Senate, Benjamin Conley, took control of the unexpired term and became Georgia's second Republican Governor. Unfortunately for Mr. Conley, a special election was called just 72 days later and he was replaced with a Democrat.
These former democrats were known as the "Dixiecrats" and for the first time since the civil war, broke up their huge voting power due to the issues that have plagued the South for 100 years.
In 1966 Republican Howard Callaway
Howard Callaway
Howard Hollis "Bo" Callaway is a businessman and former politician from the state of Georgia.-Early life and education:Callaway was born in LaGrange, Georgia, west of Atlanta. His grandfather was Fuller Earle Callaway. He attended Georgia Tech and graduated from the United States Military Academy...
received the plurality of votes for governor but failed to win, when the election was decided by the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-controlled Georgia legislature. In the 1970s, amid the Watergate Scandal, the rise of Democratic President Jimmy Carter from Georgia, led to the self proclaimed "dark days" for the Republican Party that led to a decade of failed elections and tough incidents. Georgia Republicans struggled through the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to become a major party, occasionally winning victories such as the election of U.S. Senator Mack Mattingly in 1980, only to see those gains erased in subsequent elections. In 2002 Sonny Perdue was elected as the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction. He served as Governor from 2003-2011 for two terms.
Georgia Republican Party has sent many important Republicans to Washington including Newt Gingrich, and possibly Herman Cain. In the past 20 years, the party has played a key role in the impact that the National Republican Party has left. Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain continue to be top contenders in the 2012 Republican Presidential Election.
Today's ideology
The membership of the Republican Party is primarily made up of fiscal conservatives, social conservatives, neoconservatives, libertarians, and members of the Religious Right. Recently, Tea Party members have joined many of these groups and become a force in Washington and around the country.The social conservatives of the party tend to support teaching creationism alongside evolution. Although the GOP has voted for increases in government funding of scientific research, many members actively oppose the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research because it involves the harvesting and destruction of human embryos (which many consider ethically equivalent to abortion), while supporting for applying research money into adult stem cell research.
While most Republicans believe that the private sector is more effective in helping the poor than government, they nonetheless generally agree that there should be a way to assist the less fortunate. Rather than involve the government in the distribution of aid, however, many Republicans support the use of charities, to fund welfare spending. In recent years, Kentucky and Florida have created laws to drug test individuals who receive welfare which is seen as a Republican initiative. Additionally, most Republicans believe that limits on eligibility and benefits must be in place to ensure the safety net is not abused.
Members of the Republican party are generally opposed to a single-payer universal health care system, such as that found in Canada or in most of Europe, sometimes referring to it as "socialized medicine" and are in favor of the current personal or employer based system of insurance, supplemented by Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid, which covers a good variety of the poor. Notably, Republican candidate Bob Dole in 1996 proposed the same form of health care that Republicans tend to dub "ObamaCare".
Most Republicans favor free-market policies with as much trade as possible. Republicans support the notion of Reaganomics, an economic theory that was popularized by Ronald Reagan which holds that reduced income tax rates increase GDP growth and thereby generate more revenue for the government from the taxes on the extra growth. Its policy on taxes says to not tax the rich as they are "job creators". The party opposes to higher minimum wages because it believes that they its reduce production and hiring. Republicans, in general, oppose the contractual agreement by unions to regulate labor and reduce competition in the workplace.
The party has insisted on a system of greater accountability for public schools, most prominently in recent years with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Republican analysts and candidates for office often repeat that the government should not have as much influence in education as they currently do. Republicans would rather the public school system ran like a business, with CEOs, to get the most for the buck. Most Republicans support school choice through charter schools and education vouchers for private schools; and many have denounced the performance of the public school system and the teachers' unions.
The Republican Party supports a strong defense policy and is the more socially conservative and economically libertarian of the two major parties in the state of Georgia. The party generally supports lower taxes and limited government in some economic areas, although it does support government intervention in other areas. Georgian Republicans often identify themselves as far right, and far out of reach of the strong capitalism nature to the left of the Republican Party. Although the South is generally conservative, Georgia prides itself in being one of the more conservative states.
GOP elected officials/candidates oppose abortion on religious or moral grounds, oppose the legalization of same sex marriage, and favor faith-based initiatives. Most of the GOP's membership favors capital punishment and stricter punishments as a means to prevent crime. Republicans generally strongly support constitutionally protected gun ownership rights.
Recent Tea Party gains has put financial motivations of Republicans on the back burner, as conservatives have direct control of the Republican Party.
Issues
A congressional candidate in 2010, Jody Hice, portrayed President Barack Obama as a communist by using billboards representing a hammer and sickle symbol. The symbol was associated with an iron fist portraying 20th century dictators.A study from 2001 to April 2011 shows that Georgia had the fifth lowest private sector job growth rate. Also, in July 2011, Georgia ranked 50th in job creation with a loss of 24,900 jobs from July 2010, to July 2011. The state's unemployment rate rose to 10.1 percent in the month of July.
On September 28, 2011, it was revealed that Georgia intends to move their Republican Primary to Super Tuesday by December 1. The party feels that it should play a bigger role due to its size and number of delegates, and is moving forward with the notion that it can have an important say in this next election. Georgia Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Everhart said that having an early primary would make Georgia a bigger player in 2012. She added that she did not want to see the state lose delegates by going before March. "Since we became a red state, they haven't paid much attention to us," Everhart said, referring to GOP candidates and the RNC. "They use us as a donor state."
Right to work state
Georgia is a right to work state. In right to work states, employees can decide if they want to financially support or join a union. Most states in the South are right to work states.Symbols and name
The mascot (symbol) of the Georgia Republican Party is the elephant. The elephant was originally constructed by artist Thomas Nast, in response to the criticism of a possible third term by President Ulysses S. Grant."The moral of the fable is that although a fool may disguise his appearance, his words will reveal his true nature. To Nast, the New York Herald is not a roaring lion to be feared, but a braying ass to be ridiculed. The reference in the citation to “Shakespeare or Bacon” is a jibe at Bennett’s contention that Shakespeare’s works were actually written by Sir Francis Bacon."
In modern day, the symbol of the elephant is seen as a regular commodity, showing up on campaign merchandise and other party materials. Ordinary people would most likely not understand the rise of the elephant, or its history, but understand the symbolic nature of the beast in today's political climate.
The elephant for the GOP rivals the Democrats' donkey.
Current Republican officeholders
The Republican Party of Georgia controls both U.S. Senate seats and 8 of the 13 U.S. House seats. Republicans also control all 13 of the 13 state constitutional offices.Federal
- U.S. Senate
- Saxby ChamblissSaxby ChamblissClarence Saxby Chambliss, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative ....
- Johnny IsaksonJohnny IsaksonJohn Hardy "Johnny" Isakson is the junior United States Senator from Georgia and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he represented in the House....
- Saxby Chambliss
- U.S. House of Representatives
- Jack KingstonJack KingstonOne of the counties he represents is Wheeler County.John Heddens "Jack" Kingston is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party.- Early life, education and career:...
, 1st DistrictGeorgia's 1st congressional districtGeorgia's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district comprises the entire coastal area of Sea Islands, where many of the large cotton and rice plantations flourished in the 19th century, and much of the rural southeastern part of the state... - Lynn WestmorelandLynn WestmorelandLynn A. Westmoreland is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district stretches from the far southern Atlanta suburbs to the suburbs of Columbus...
, 3rd DistrictGeorgia's 3rd congressional districtGeorgia's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district is based in west central Georgia and stretches from Columbus in the south to the southern edge of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area in the north, including Fayette, Coweta, Henry, and Spalding... - Tom Price, 6th DistrictGeorgia's 6th congressional districtGeorgia's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district consists of many of the northern suburbs of Atlanta and includes eastern Cobb County, northern Fulton County, the Dunwoody area of northern Dekalb County, as well as all of Cherokee County....
- Rob WoodallRob WoodallWilliam Robert Woodall III is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. Prior to being elected to congress, he was the Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman John Linder . He worked for Linder from 1994 to 2010.-Early life, education, and career:Woodall was born in Athens, GA...
, 7th DistrictGeorgia's 7th congressional districtGeorgia's 7th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district includes all of Barrow and Walton counties and portions of Forsyth, Gwinnett, and Newton counties.... - Austin ScottAustin Scott (politician)James Austin Scott is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and career:...
, 8th DistrictGeorgia's 8th congressional districtGeorgia's 8th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located in central Georgia, the district is based in Macon and also includes Warner Robins, Tifton, and Moultrie... - Tom GravesTom Graves (politician)John Thomas "Tom" Graves, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2010. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is located in the northern part of the state, including much of the north Georgia mountains...
, 9th DistrictGeorgia's 9th congressional districtGeorgia's 9th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district contains many of the mountainous counties in the northern part of the state along the Appalachian Range and includes Gainesville... - Paul BrounPaul BrounPaul Collins Broun, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party and the Tea Party Caucus.-Early life, education and career:...
, 10th DistrictGeorgia's 10th congressional districtGeorgia's 10th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located in the northeastern part of the state, the district includes the cities of Athens, Evans, Augusta, Watkinsville, and Toccoa... - Phil GingreyPhil GingreyJohn Phillip "Phil" Gingrey, is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is located in the northwestern suburbs of Atlanta.-Early life, education and career:...
, 11th DistrictGeorgia's 11th congressional districtGeorgia's 11th congressional district is congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located in the northwestern part of the state, the district includes Marietta...
- Jack Kingston
State
- Governor: Nathan DealNathan DealJohn Nathan Deal is a United States politician, the 82nd and current Governor of Georgia. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992 but switched to the Republican Party in 1995...
- Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant Governor of GeorgiaThe Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is a constitutional officer of the state, elected to a 4-year term by popular vote. Unlike some states, the lieutenant governor is elected on a separate ticket from the state Governor....
: Casey CagleCasey CagleLowell S. "Casey" Cagle is an American politician currently serving as the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. He is a member of the Republican Party, a conservative, and a former member of the General Assembly in the U.S. state of Georgia. In 2006, Cagle defeated political activist Ralph... - Secretary of StateSecretary of state of GeorgiaThe secretary of state of the U.S. state of Georgia is an elected official with a wide variety of responsibilities, including supervising elections and maintaining public records....
: Brian P. KempBrian P. KempBrian P. Kemp is the Republican Secretary of State of the U.S. State of Georgia. Kemp succeeded Karen Handel on January 8, 2010, when she stepped down to run in the Georgia gubernatorial election, 2010.... - Attorney GeneralAttorney General of GeorgiaThe attorney general of Georgia is the chief law enforcement officer and lawyer for the U.S. state of Georgia. The attorney general is elected to a four-year term at the same time as elections are held for Governor and other offices....
: Sam Olens - State School Superintendent: John D. Barge
- State Agriculture Commissioner: Gary BlackGary BlackGary Black is the Agriculture Commissioner of the state of Georgia. A Republican, Black was elected in the November 2010 elections. Black defeated his Democratic opponent with 56% of the vote compared to 40.4%....
- State Insurance Commissioner: Ralph HudgensRalph HudgensRalph Hudgens is the Commissioner of Insurance of the state of Georgia. Hudgens served in the Georgia House of Representatives as well as the Georgia Senate. He has been a delegate to numerous Republican Party events...
- State Labor Commissioner: Mark Butler
Past Republican governors
In 2002 Sonny Perdue was elected as the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction. He earned a doctorate from University of Georgia in 1971 in Veterinary Medicine. He served in the US Air Force, earning the rank of Captain, before receiving his honorable discharge and starting up a small business in Raleigh, N.C. He served 10 years beginning in 1990 as a Democrat in the Georgia State Senate, including a tenure as majority leader in 1995-1996. He served as Governor from 2003-2011 for two terms.External links
- Georgia Republican Party website
- Georgia Teen Republicans
- Georgia Association of College Republicans
- Georgia Young Republicans
Social media
- Georgia Republican Party Facebook page @ http://www.facebook.com/GAGOP
- Georgia Republican Party on Twitter @ twitter.com/GaRepublicans