Category: conventions

At the Republican county convention today, held at Roswell Street Baptist Church, three candidates for Chair and their slates saw their campaigns reach their conclusion as the delegates were finally called upon to vote.

The election was delayed after the Nominating Committee announced it had its own slate compiled from the candidates the majority of that committee deemed to be the best candidates for the different executive positions. Debate ensued from the floor that the delegates had the right to vote on the three original slates offered by candidates Salleigh Grubbs, Pamela Alayon, and Lisa Adkins. A minority report from some members fo the Nominating Committee (including Cobb RA members Nathaniel Darnell and Frank Molesky) was given echoing the concern that the three original slates should have been presented by the Nominating Committee.

“The primary thing we on the Nominating Committee should be doing,” said Cobb RA Chairman Nathaniel Darnell, “is ensuring that none of the candidates running for Republican officer or delegate positions are under-cover Democrats. Second, we should ensure each officer candidate is capable at some minimum level of performing the job they’re running for. Beyond that, it gets very subjective. And, of course, the Establishment wing that favors Big Government and Corporate Welfare is going to tend to oppose principled candidates who have a reputation for standing up against those kinds of corruption. That is certainly part of what we witnessed in the discussion in the Nominating Committee that led to their proposed alternative slate.”

The debate over the Nominating Committee slate took up over 30 minutes of time at the Cobb County GOP Convention—time which could have been spent discussing and passing the submitted resolutions. The Nominating Committee slate was predictably shot down, and the time wasted on that discussion ensured that the convention never got to address the resolutions. The Cobb GOP had only negotiated to have the facility at Roswell Street Baptist Church rented for use until 2:30pm, and the convention used up all of that time voting on the slates of officers, delegates, and alternates, being forced to postpone the resolutions for consideration until later when the new Cobb County GOP Committee meets for the first time under its new county chairwoman.

Of course, it would not be surprising if ensuring the body of the convention never got to vote on the resolutions was part of what the Establishment intended all along. It was pretty clear that most activist delegates in the Cobb GOP favored the proposed resolutions passed in other counties that called for reprimanding elected officials such as Secretary of State Raffensperger and Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan due to their role in enabling the likely election fraud and abuse that took place last year. Many in the GOP Establishment were hoping to avoid that embarrassment even though activists in the party are threatening to leave the GOP altogether if such officials are not held accountable.

In perhaps another example of Establishment-wing craftiness, the Nominating Committee slate nominated Salleigh Grubbs for the Chair position to run against her original slate. Some suspected that this move was intended to dilute the vote of her supporters and eliminate her candidacy on the first ballot. But when the Nominating Committee slate was shot down, that removed any confusion as for which slate her supporters would vote. Although the exact results of the election were not announced, witnesses of the tally reported that Salleigh’s margin of victory was substantial, just shy of a super-majority. Cobb RA member candidate Pamela Alayon and her slate came in second place. Lisa Adkins and her slate came in third place.

Besides Salleigh, most of the new Cobb GOP Executive Committee is composed of Cobb RA members—particularly Cobb RA President Debbie Fisher, who was elected as Vice Chair of Grassroots Development. Debbie Fisher was elected last year as President of the Cobb RA chapter due in no small part to her efforts to hold the then Republican (in name only)-controlled Cobb County Commissioners accountable for their wasteful spending and ensuing tax increases. Debbie has been assigned with putting together a task force to monitor and rate the votes of the county commissioners as we seek to keep Republicans in Cobb more aware of the activities of their local government.

Overall, the election of Salleigh’s new team appears to represent a victory for the grassroots Republican activists over the fat-cat, corporate welfare Establishment that seeks to insulate itself from accountability. Salleigh was first inspired to get more involved last November after the reports of election fraud and abuse put the outcome of the general election in doubt. She and her supporters will be working hard to implement reforms prior to election year 2022.