Hard-line Georgia GOP activists target Jon Burns, Brad Raffensperger

The Georgia Republican grassroots base has gone to war with many of its party leaders over the last decade, a list that spans from former Gov. Nathan Deal to current Gov. Brian Kemp.

The state GOP passed a resolution in 2021 to censure Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after defying President Donald Trump’s demand to “find” enough votes to reverse his defeat, while activists in several counties rebuked Kemp.

Now, anger at party leadership is bubbling up again. Several GOP districts passed resolutions urging the state party to block Raffensperger and House Speaker Jon Burns from qualifying to run as Republicans. The latest included the 3rd District GOP, whose activists voted this weekend to endorse the push.

The resolutions, of course, are purely symbolic as such an attempt would be illegal. But they underscore ongoing efforts by hard-line activists to punish Republican elected officials not deemed sufficiently loyal to the president and his causes.

The vitriol aimed at Raffensperger, a potential candidate for governor or U.S. Senate, is familiar: some party activists still blame him for Trump’s 2020 defeat.

The backlash to Burns, who took the speaker’s gavel in 2023, is newer. Some activists accuse him of spurning MAGA priorities, even though his chamber embraced many controversial culture wars legislation this session.

Others are still sore over Burns’ squabble with state Sen. Colton Moore of Trenton, an ultraconservative Republican who was arrested after defying a ban on entering the Georgia House chamber.

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Raffensperger declined comment. A Burns spokesperson dismissed the move as “political theater.”

“Speaker Burns has served with dignity and integrity for over two decades, and when it comes to winning elections, his record speaks for itself,” the Burns aide said. “He will continue to deliver historic conservative results for the people he answers to — the voters of the 159th district and the people of the state of Georgia.”

These intraparty clashes highlight the unresolved tensions roiling the state GOP ahead of the pivotal midterm elections shaped by Trump’s influence. But allies of Burns and Raffensperger need only look at the last midterm for a measure of confidence.

Kemp, who was booed at the 2021 state GOP convention, went on a year later to trounce former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, a Trump-backed candidate, in the GOP primary for governor.

And Raffensperger scored a runaway victory against another MAGA favorite, then-U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, in the same primary.

Things to know

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Good morning! Gov. Brian Kemp has 16 days left to either sign or veto bills passed by the state Legislature this year. He’s signed 10 bills into law so far and hasn’t vetoed anything yet. Follow along at the AJC’s Legislative Navigator.

Here are four things to know for today:

GOP chair

Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC

Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC

Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon dominated straw polls at district meetings over the weekend against David Cross, the party’s second vice-chair and a hard-liner who is challenging him for reelection.

McKoon has picked up a string of endorsements from across the party spectrum, including President Donald Trump loyalists Lt. Gov. Burt Jones; U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson; and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to China.

McKoon, a former state senator, forged a coalition of MAGA conservatives and more middle-of-the-road Republicans to win his post in 2023.

Cross is one of several new state GOP officers with a history of attacking the “establishment” and promoting conspiracy theories that focus on unsubstantiated claims of widespread election fraud.

Democratic chair

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

The race to replace U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams as chair of the state Democratic Party of Georgia is hurtling toward a conclusion. And party insiders say Charlie Bailey might be the candidate to beat next week.

Bailey, the party’s nominee for attorney general and lieutenant governor the last two midterm election cycles, has picked up dozens of endorsements, including former Gov. Roy Barnes; U.S. Reps. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia, and Lucy McBath, D-Marietta; Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.

But these contests can be notoriously hard to predict, and we’re hearing from allies of other contenders that much is still in flux.

Former Rome City Commissioner Wendy Davis has a broad base of support from years working the party’s grassroots infrastructure. State Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes is seen a rising star. And grassroots leaders warn not to count out former Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis or ex-Chatham County Commissioner Jay Jones, particularly if they make it past the first rounds of voting.

Restless base

Credit: Jason Allen/AJC

Credit: Jason Allen/AJC

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff got a warm reception from a mostly polite audience during his Cobb County town hall on Friday morning. But some in the crowd were frustrated.

The first-term senator said all the right things for his liberal base, including saying President Donald Trump has committed “an impeachable offense.” But the bigger issue for the progressive warriors in the audience was Ossoff’s absence at some big protest rallies and his muted presence on social media.

“He’s not going to these rallies we are going to. He’s not helping us with that. He’s not on his social media at all,” said Kate Denny, one of a few attendees who called out Ossoff publicly during the event. “We need people who will lead us, not just say they’re going to lead us.”

Ossoff isn’t a bomb thrower, preferring the painstaking work of coalition building to enact policies. He spent the first 20 minutes of his town hall boasting about how well he works with Republicans, highlighting legislation on prison oversight and veterans’ health care. But recent public polling has indicated Democratic voters are more interested in fighters than ideologues.

“The people are asking you to fight for them,” said state Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, a Democratic Socialist from Smyrna who attended Ossoff’s town hall. “We need to talk less about bipartisanship and more about how we’re going to save this country.”

Ossoff said he welcomed the criticism, telling the crowd he did not screen questions before his event. He told the crowd impeaching Trump for a third time would be difficult unless Democrats take control of the House.

“My job is to be honest with you. The only way to achieve what you want to achieve is to have a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives,” he said. “And believe me, I’m working on it every single day.”

Voucher resignation

Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC

Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC

Former state Rep. Alisha Thomas Searcy joined Democrats for Education Reform last year, helping the group launch its south region. But just over a year later, Searcy is leaving the group over a disagreement about private school vouchers.

Vouchers act as government-funded scholarships to help students pay for private school tuition. Gov. Brian Kemp signed a voucher-style system into law last year, and 12,000 people applied during the first application window.

Supporters say the vouchers give parents a choice on how to best educate their kids. But critics say vouchers divert critical funding from public schools. Searcy said she chose to resign after the group’s “recent decision to embrace efforts to advance private school vouchers.”

“Advocates must focus squarely on defending and strengthening the public schools that the vast majority of our kids attend — not pursuing policies that undermine them and their funding,” she said.

Tort retort

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Republican state Rep. Dale Washburn of Macon joined many of his colleagues over the weekend in posting praise on social media for Gov. Brian Kemp “delivering commonsense, meaningful tort reform.”

Except Washburn was among nearly a dozen House Republicans who voted against the measure, which Kemp signed into law last week. We’re told that while some of the other “no” votes were expected by the governor’s team, Washburn’s came as more of a surprise.

We reached out to Washburn for comment on the turnabout, but didn’t hear back.

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Today in Washington

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Shoutouts

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Credit: Courtesy photo

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Before you go

Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock was among the members of Congress who sat a spell with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and New Jersey U.S. Sen. Cory Booker during their 12-hour livestream on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Sunday. Warnock, an Atlanta Democrat, wished Booker a happy birthday with jokes about their shared bald heads and birth years.

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.