Northwest Georgia Post-Election Synopsis By The #RINOEstablishment

Being a district chairman, that automatically makes me a member of the #RINOEstablishment, so I might as well claim the title and say that I was generally happy with the results of our Georgia Republican primary.  We avoided conspiracy and cupcakes in the US Senate race, and I’m glad to see three of Georgia’s most conservative congressmen being sent back to Washington to represent the fine folks in Georgia’s 14th, 11th, and 9th districts.  I was also glad to see a number of legislators win their primaries, including folks like Representative Scot Turner, Senator Brandon Beach, Speaker David Ralston,  Senator Charlie Bethel, and my own State Senator Jeff Mullis.

In my own county, Shannon Whitfield won a decisive victory (75% to 25% against Mike Peardon) in the Republican primary.  He now faces our incumbent Republican-turned-Independent Commissioner Bebe Heiskell.  Walker County is a Republican county, but politics can be…odd.  It will be a tough uphill fight.  Also, Republicans and Democrats in Walker County overwhelmingly voted in favor of changing the form of government from sole commission to a multi-member commission.

Chattooga County Republican Party Chairman Spencer Hogg posted on his Facebook last night saying that more Republican ballots were pulled vs. Democratic ballots in a local election for the first time ever in Chattooga County.  Chattooga is one of the last Democratic strongholds in northwest Georgia, and something the Georgia Republican Party has been working to make inroads for that past few years.  Great leadership by Spencer and the folks in Chattooga County.

Although a lot of incumbents won their respective races last night, not all were spared.  Floyd County Commissioner Irwin Bagwell was defeated in the Republican primary by challenger Allison Watters, and (not in northwest Georgia, but my in-laws live over there) Forsyth County Sheriff Duane Piper lost to Ron Freeman.

And, finally, a few disappointing results including former Catoosa GOP Chairman and newly-minted Juris Doctor Jeremy Jones not making a run-off for House District 3, Delvis Dutton losing to Blake Tillery in Senate District 19, and Mayor Pete Gibbons not making the run-off for Senate District 24.

Congratulations to those who won, and thank you to those who offered themselves up as a choice on the ballot.  We have primary elections for a reason.  Believe it or not, I don’t have a smoke-filled backroom where I and other #Establishment folks choose our nominees.  They are selected, for better or worse, by Georgia voters who pull a Republican ballot.

On to November.