Georgia Republicans held mass statewide precinct meetings on Saturday, with an eye toward electing delegates at their Savannah state convention on May 17-18. Former Cobb County party chairman Scott Johnson is the only announced candidate for state party chairman, a post to be decided in Savannah. And Trey Kelly, GOP chairman of Georgia’s most populous county Fulton, announced he’s running for re-election.
Both Johnson and Kelly pledge to focus on better voter turnout “targeting” in 2020.
U.S. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., is up for re-election in 2020 and mingled with the party faithful at some of the Saturday meetings. It is widely rumored that he will be challenged by Democrat Stacey Abrams, fresh from her national TV exposure responding to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. Interestingly, a source in LaGrange tells this writer the failed 2018 Abrams campaign has never really shut down after her loss to now-Gov. Brian Kemp. Abrams staffers are still registering voters in that area.
U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, who has represented the 7th Congressional District since he was first elected in 2010 and barely won re-election over Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux, will not be running again. Woodall decided to announce now to give Republicans a chance to prepare for the 2020 election, especially with Bourdeaux probably running again.
The Gwinnett Daily News reported that 7th Congressional District GOP Joel Natt is putting out feelers to local Republicans about running. And the party says state Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, told Natt she would look at forming an exploratory committee to examine a possible run.
Other names that the 7th District GOP says are being rumored as possible candidates for the Woodall seat include former state Sen. David Shafer as well as former state Reps. Buzz Brockway and Scott Hilton.
