GOP kicking off 2018 campaigns
Floyd County delegates return from the state convention geared up for next year’s elections.
Local Republicans returned Sunday from their state party convention in Augusta with their eyes firmly fixed on next year’s elections.
A host of state offices will be up for grabs in 2018, including governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state.
“I think the campaign for those offices begins now,” said Andy Garner, chairman of the Floyd County GOP.
Garner was among the county delegates who elected John Watson to chair the state party, after three rounds of fairly close votes. He said he backed Watson — who led the campaign of former governor (now U.S. secretary of agriculture) Sonny Perdue — from the start.
“He’s got the experience we need at this time,” Garner said. “We need someone who can get the party out of debt and get us ready for next year, because the Democrats are going to be coming for us with everything they’ve got.”
Layla Shipman, another Floyd County Republican, didn’t back Watson until the third round, after her candidate, Michael McNeely, was eliminated. Shipman used her professional campaign strategist skills to lobby delegates for McNeely, who was the party’s vice chair and would have been its first black chairman.
“The party is electing younger people to leadership, and we are electing people because of their qualifications instead of who they are,” she said. “As far as our party being a big tent, I’m seeing that.”
Still, Shipman called Watson “a good guy” who is expert at raising money and “good at bringing folks together.” Those are important attributes, she said, when so many candidates are already lining up to run in next year’s primaries.
Attendees at the twoday convention heard from all the declared Republican gubernatorial candidates, but Garner said the best speech, “like always,” came from U.S. Sen. David Perdue.
“He talked about how we need to support our president, the guy we elected, and how Congress needs to get on the ball and move President Trump’s legislative agenda forward,” Garner said.
Overall, the convention mood was upbeat, he said, with a bit of frustration at Congress. He also said Gov. Nathan Deal energized the crowd when he praised the speedy reconstruction of the I-85 bridge that collapsed in Atlanta in March.
“I think that’s very indicative of what can happen with private enterprise when government gets out of the way,” Garner said. “The governor and Sen. Perdue both made a point of that.”
Campaigning is expected to ramp up locally in August, when most, or all, of the statewide candidates appear at a rally in the Tillman hangar at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport, Garner said.