“This is what happens when you lose your way."
That is what a former member of the far-right Georgia Republican Assembly (GRA) had to say about the faction within the legislature that is reportedly tearing the Georgia GOP apart as they face a pivotal 2026 election.
According to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the leadership of the GRA have pushed members too far leading to an exodus from the group with public back-biting overwhelming the work they should be doing –– which includes trying to win back one of the state's two U.S. Senate seats.
As the AJC's Greg Bluestien is reporting, "Dozens of prominent Republican activists formally quit the faction last week, writing in an open letter that the group seemed more determined to 'appease those who scream the loudest than stand with those who fight the hardest,'" adding, "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."
Debbie Dooley, a founding member of GRA who departed in 2023, said she is not surprised by the group splintering apart, explaining, "They’ve become power mad. And they’re paying the price.”
According to the report, conservative group has moved even farther to the right due to the influence of Donald Trump and that has created a schism over how to govern as well as who is given endorsements.
"This is what happens when an organization takes its leadership cues from the legacy of David Koresh and Jim Jones,” remarked former Georgia GOP chair John Watson.
Former Georgia GOP executive director lamented, "We’ve seen this element in the Republican Party for years. But it’s become more strident. They’re trying to be Trump imitators, but they’re not good at it. They think that being angry appeals to the base.”
Former member Dooley added, "They were growing in power. And now they’re severely weakened — and people are waking up and they’re walking away.”
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