GOP State Rep Bruce Broadrick Draws A Young Republican As Primary Challenger

Northwest Georgia Young Republican Beau Patton announced yesterday that he is running for state representative against incumbent Bruce Broadrick for the Dalton-centric 4th district seat:

He made an announcement speech at the Northwest Georgia Young Republicans club meeting yesterday evening.

“I’m not running on specific issues, I’m running to be a voice for the people of northwest Georgia.”

He may say that now, but with the negotiated compromise on a RFRA resolution by the Georgia Republican Party State Committee, you can expect that will be an issue that will be popular in northwest Georgia where social conservatives tend to dominate.

State Representative Broadrick isn’t, to the best of my knowledge, exactly unpopular.  He defeated his ’16 primary opponent Kasey Carpenter 54% to 46% the same year his former colleague and fellow Whitfield County resident Tom Dickson lost his primary run-off to Jason Ridley.  The anti-incumbent sentiment that was strong in 2016 will likely carry into the 2018 election.  Whether or not Patton can capitalize on that and/or Broadrick can stave it off remains to be seen.