‘Power mad’: Why a far-right Georgia GOP faction is splintering

And Georgia GOP chair Josh McKoon added his name to the list days later, declaring in a letter obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the organization was trying to “undermine” the party’s efforts to win in 2026.

The wave of defections decimates an organization that had been gaining influence within the state party. But this isn’t just a parochial squabble — it’s a broader fight over the direction of Georgia’s GOP heading into a critical election cycle.

The group’s leaders helped engineer provocative moves to rebuke establishment party leaders and block Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger from running as a Republican in 2026.

The GRA is also backing a revived lawsuit that seeks to let local officials block candidates they consider insufficiently conservative — or, as one activist put it, “traitors to the principles of the party” — from qualifying on the GOP ticket.

Alex Johnson, the group’s chair, downplayed the backlash, saying the GRA remains committed to “unify the party and uphold accountable, authentic Republican governance.”

Credit: Jim Galloway

Credit: Jim Galloway

But the exodus has left the group diminished ahead of a pivotal election cycle, with every statewide post on the ballot and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff up for reelection.

And it flips the script of recent years, when the broader Georgia GOP was the one splintering — fractured by infighting between President Donald Trump’s MAGA wing and mainstream conservatives like Gov. Brian Kemp, who hasn’t returned to a state GOP convention since he was booed in 2021. At that time, GRA leaders were among his fiercest critics.

“This is what happens when you lose your way,” said Debbie Dooley, a founding member of the faction who left in 2023. “They’ve become power mad. And they’re paying the price.”

From insurgent force to fractured faction

The Georgia Republican Assembly was founded more than a decade ago to tug the party further to the right. Back then, mainstream forces and well-heeled donors played a bigger role in shaping the state GOP’s direction.

But the dynamic has shifted with Trump’s rise to power. The state party is now dominated by grassroots activists — a smaller, more ideologically rigid bloc that might not reflect the broader electorate but often plays an outsize role in GOP politics.

They’re the ones showing up at weekend meetings, knocking on doors in sweltering summer evenings and helping campaigns restock with small-dollar donations.

As the party moved rightward, the GRA gained influence. Its growing sway has drawn sharper divides over what it means to be a “real” Republican. Many of its past leaders are in powerful party posts or grassroots leadership positions.

It’s unclear how this sort of infighting will shape next year’s election. But it underscores the ongoing challenges facing more pragmatic GOP figures like Raffensperger, who enjoy high name recognition and centrist support but face pushback with the party’s activist base.

Will the GRA’s collapse factor into the GOP’s battle plans next year? Insiders are skeptical.

“Is there a number less than zero?” former Georgia GOP chair John Watson replied when asked about its influence. He then cited two infamous cult leaders.

“This is what happens when an organization takes its leadership cues from the legacy of David Koresh and Jim Jones.”

Still, others say even the fringiest of movements makes it easier for Democrats to paint their political rivals with a broad brushstroke.

“We’ve seen this element in the Republican Party for years. But it’s become more strident,” said Jay Morgan, a former Georgia GOP executive director. “They’re trying to be Trump imitators, but they’re not good at it. They think that being angry appeals to the base.”

‘Walking away’

Party insiders say internal divisions that simmered for months boiled over at the GOP convention earlier this month, where several GRA-backed candidates were trounced.

Tensions also escalated after the state party adopted a GRA-backed resolution at the convention urging GOP leaders to block Raffensperger from the ticket — and “fully defend” against any legal blowback from his allies.

Raffensperger, a potential contender for higher office in 2026, remains a lightning rod for some Republicans who still bristle at his refusal to help Trump overturn the 2020 election and his ongoing support for voting machines over hand-marked paper ballots.

Party leaders moved quickly to distance themselves from the resolution, which passed overwhelmingly as part of a broader package that also rebuked House Speaker Jon Burns. McKoon told “Politically Georgia” he wouldn’t flout Georgia law that requires the party to qualify contenders who meet procedural requirements.

“I’m not going to put the Republican Party in the position of being sued over ballot access,” McKoon said.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Even so, the GRA and its allies pointed to a recent federal appellate court ruling as proof the party has more authority than it claims. The court revived a lawsuit from Catoosa County Republicans seeking to block four Republican candidates from running under the party label.

GRA leaders asserted the decision bolstered McKoon’s “legal right and responsibility” to block Raffensperger from qualifying. But Johnson denied the group is preparing litigation against state party leaders, calling the chatter “pure misinformation.”

“We have never threatened, considered or authorized any lawsuit against the Georgia Republican Party,” Johnson said.

McKoon, for his part, said he couldn’t support a group that’s even flirted with suing the state party. Others see the bigger issue is factional infighting that could cost Republicans in 2026.

“It’s nothing but a power grab that everyone saw, and it’s backfired spectacularly,” said Dooley, who regularly encourages GRA members to quit the group.

“They were growing in power. And now they’re severely weakened — and people are waking up and they’re walking away.”