As could be expected at an organization that’s shifted toward the party’s MAGA wing, the speeches were dominated by pledges to stand with Donald Trump and persecute his political enemies.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Some of the loudest cheers greeted swipes against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, the Democrat leading the election-interference case, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the Republican elections chief vilified by Trump.

Speaker after speaker at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center played to the party’s ultraconservative factions. At one point, Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch boasted that journalists often refer to the Senate as the more conservative chamber.

“The media is not always right, but they’re right about that,” he said. “We wear this as a scarlet badge of honor.”

Buzz and speculation

Every election cycle brings rampant speculation over who will stand pat, who will move out, and who will try to move up. But the 2026 cycle will bring a bumper crop of opportunities.

The race to succeed a term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to draw multiple statewide officials, including Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr. Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is up for another term, too, and Republicans are jockeying over who would challenge him if Kemp decides against it.

Democrats are also rife with speculation about their ticket, namely who will run for governor. U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath and DeKalb chief executive Michael Thurmond are among the potential candidates. So is Jason Carter, the party’s nominee in 2014.

And each elected official who pursues a promotion will create a ripple effect down the ballot, leaving open other sought-after positions.

One of the most buzzed-about names is former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a wealthy executive who built a formidable political operation after losing her seat to Democrat Raphael Warnock in 2021.

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

She joined a panel with two Black conservatives Friday that highlighted President Joe Biden’s slipping poll numbers among voters of color.

“Democrats need Black voters more than Black voters need the Democratic Party,” she said of Biden’s most loyal constituency.

The lieutenant governor, long a favorite of grassroots activists, touted the state’s expansion of school vouchers and new crackdowns on violent crime. Jones told the audience he expects to use his perch to travel the nation to back Trump’s campaign.

“We are getting the party politics behind us come Tuesday and all the primary elections past us, and then our focus has got to be back on the White House,” Jones said. “Because if we don’t take the White House back, our country’s in trouble.”

Just as noteworthy were the potential candidates who didn’t make the rounds in Columbus this weekend.

Kemp, who could challenge Ossoff or focus on a potential presidential campaign, has skipped consecutive Georgia GOP conventions. So have Carr and Raffensperger, who like the governor each defeated a Trump-backed challenger in 2022.

A fourth Republican who survived Trump’s wrath returned to the convention — Insurance Commissioner John King, who skipped last year’s event. He was welcomed with polite applause as he recounted his journey from Atlanta beat cop to U.S. Army National Guard general to Georgia’s first Hispanic statewide elected official.

Others who could seek higher office in two years also landed speaking spots, including Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, state Sen. Jason Anavitarte and Senate President Pro Tem John Kennedy.

Kennedy warned the party could be “one election cycle away from disaster” in a closely divided state. He emphasized GOP support for legislation to combat antisemitism, cut taxes and boost education funding.

“These kitchen table victories I shared with you today may not be what sells books or packs out arenas,” he said. “But these victories are how we get to 51%.”