Part 1: Preparing for Georgia's 2026 Elections: GOP Trends and Lessons from the Past

Is the election going back to Democrats in our state? Are we ready for 2026? Or will 2026 be the election year that the democrats gain control under the Gold Dome. For us to prepare for 2026, we have to white board where we are. Trump has won and it is a very exciting time in America, but in 2026 or 2028 Donald Trump will not be on the ballot. The next big cycle in Georgia is in 2026 it will be open for the constitutional offices.
We have gotten to the point, the slogan is Vote Republican or Vote Red. We don’t have a clear reason why? It’s just better.
In 1999 we were all worried about what would happen. Right around 2000 the Great Republican took over Georgia. Republicans started winning the constitutional offices and state offices.
The Great Flag Promise and how to control the base. In politics you make a promise that doesn’t upset this side but can stir this side and get them into a frenzy and it is a win win. Right around 2003 republicans in Georgia that led the way in the great republican takeover in Georgia used what is working today in controlling the base with the Great Flag Promise. We have an enormous amount of pockets in the republican side.
We have the GA GOP chairs. Ralph Reed was very instrumental in growing the party in 2001-2003. Sue Everhart brought most of the control fall under republican control between 2007 and 2013. In 2017 John Padget incorporated the party and created GAGOPInc. There was a decline in the party.
Republicans have become the party of appointments in Georgia.
Our first republican to get the insurance commissioner in 1994. Today's insurance commissioner is John King and was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp.
Our first republican to get the School Superintendent in 1994. Linda Schrenko and she got 8 years in federal prison.
Our first ag commissioner was in 2011 with Gary Black.
Our first Labor commissioner was in 2011 with Mark Butler. We are waiting for Governor Kemp to appoint a new commissioner after the death of Bruce Thompson.
We started in the late nineties but didn’t complete it until 2011
AG was turned in 2011 with Sam Olens, then in 2016 Gov Nathan Deal appointed Chris Carr
Secretary of State the position was turned republican in 2007. In 2010 the governor Sonny Perdue appointed Brian Kemp to be Secretary of state.
LT governor the first republican was Casey Cagel in 2007.
Governor's office republicans got with Sonny Perdue in 2003. The last republican was in 1872. Sonny Perdue today still draws $500K with the board of regents.
Perdue ran on a promise to allow a statewide referendum on the flag of Georgia. At this time the confederate flag is very controversial. It was implied that the referendum would be on the 1956 flag, the initial bill HB380 legislated for 2 referendums. The first on a redesign and the second, if the redesign was rejected between the pre and post 1956 flags. Perdue energized rural white voters by promising a referendum on the state flag, which the legislature stripped of its large confederate battle cross 2 years ago.
We haven’t had the constitutional offices that long.
In the 146 state legislature in Georgia, 2001 democrats held all the senate majority positions; the democrat speaker of the house was Tom Murphy. The 158 general assembly. The house has 180 seats 100 republicans and 80 democrats; the senate 56 senators 33r republicans and 23 democrats. A year ago it was 102 republicans to 78 democrats. Two years ago 103-76 in the house. In the senate it was 34-24. In just 4 years, 154 general assembly 116 republicans in the house we lost 16 republican seats in the house. The senate was 37-18 we lost 4 in the senate. Republicans maxed out in the General assembly 153 the house had 119 republicans, the senate was 38 republicans. General assembly 150, the power was transferred to David Ralston. We have lost 19 republicans in the house and 5 in the senate. We are headed in the wrong direction.
The census in 2000 gave us 11 districts: 8 republicans and 3 democrats. In 2002 we went to 13 districts: 8 republicans and 5 democrats. We got 2 more districts but we didn’t grow the party. We got a seat from illinois. We are the number one state that is importing democrats. As a party we are not addressing that, we are busy in decline as a party. In 2012, we got the 14th district so now we have 9 republicans and 5 democrats. In 2012 we drew the strongest republican districts in the country. In 2022 the new congressional map rejected a special session to redraw a map to be approved by the judge. This is where we diluted the 9th and 14th districts and drew a new 7th and lost the old 6th and 11th district. Democrats are playing the long game and are turning the state. Appeals court questions roles of race in Georgia redistricting case. This is still going on. They are saying we don’t have enough minority districts and other races in georgia. We are not done with our redistricting in Georgia. Who are we battling… Eric Holder and Barack Obama. They fight everyday to redistrict.
Could we lose a state office in Georgia? Yes. No one is putting these into place anything to stop this.
In the state of Georgia democrats have already flipped the US senate seats.
We had supermajorities in the state house and state senate. We had both US senate seats. All the constitutional offices.