Chairman’s Update – August 3rd, 2012

Dear Fellow Republicans,

As we all check our smartphones for the announcement of Governor Romney’s running mate via his new app, we can all get ready for the November election in our local and state races as well. The primary election on Tuesday gave us our Republican nominees in almost all races, so with the exception of a handful of runoffs set for August 21, we have our slate ready to go for the fall. The Gwinnett GOP congratulates all of our nominees.

To recap, Congressman Rob Woodall will take on a Democrat in the 7th District and Chris Vaughn will carry the banner for the party against Rep. Hank Johnson in the 4th District, while Congressman Paul Broun will return to office in the 10th. On the state level, incumbent Public Service Commissioners Chuck Eaton and Stan Wise will be our nominees in November, while Senators Fran Millar, Renee Unterman, and David Shafer are unopposed and Don Balfour takes on a Democrat.

In the state House, the party will be strongly contesting three seats in particular, due to their competitive partisan splits: Chris Boedeker, who will take on Democrat incumbent Scott Holcomb in the mostly-DeKalb District 81; Mark Williams, who will go up against Democrat incumbent Pedro Marin in District 96 (Norcross/Duluth); and Joyce Chandler, who will vie for an open seat that leans Republican in the Lawrenceville/Grayson-based District 105.

In addition, the party will be assisting Reps. Tom Rice and Valerie Clark in defending their seats against Democrat opponents, as well as helping Tina Hoffer in her District 93 race. Congratulations go to the following House primary winners who have no Democrat opposition in November: Reps. Brooks Coleman, Josh Clark, Buzz Brockway, Brett Harrell, Donna Sheldon, B.J. Pak, David Casas, and Tom Kirby, as well as Rep.-elect Timothy Barr.

Finally, on the county level, congratulations to Probate Judge-elect Chris Ballar, as well as District 1 Commissioner-elect Jace Brooks. Runoffs will determine the Commissioner for District 3 (Mike Beaudreau vs. Tommy Hunter), as well as the winners to fill open Superior Court (Kathy Schrader vs. Tracey Mason Blasi) and State Court judgeships (Emily Brantley vs. Pam Britt). Look for information in the next few days about a runoff forum featuring these judicial and District 3 candidates. The party will be assisting Clerk of Court Richard Alexander in his race against a Democrat in November as well.

Don’t forget our monthly breakfast rally this Saturday, August 4th, at 550 Trackside in Lawrenceville (550 N. Clayton St.), where we will be receiving a Congressional update from Congressman Rob Woodall. Doors will open at 7:45 a.m., and the program begins at 8:30. An excellent breakfast and/or juice and coffee is available for purchase.

We are very excited about our grassroots mobilization plan for the fall, which you will be hearing more about in the very near future. The county party will be making its presence felt in every corner of Gwinnett in the weeks leading up to November 6th, knocking on doors, making phone calls, and attending events. We need to substantially improve on the percentage of the vote in Gwinnett for Governor Romney, to ensure a resounding victory in the state, and I know we can count on your help.

Finally, I want to express heartfelt condolences and sympathies on behalf of the party to the family of Jason and Julianne Thompson, two of our most loyal and active members. On Tuesday, Julianne lost her sister, Deborah Hyden, who was a former teacher and current practicing attorney in Gwinnett County, but most importantly, a beloved friend and family member whose life served as her testimony to others. The family asks that if you feel so moved, please consider donating to the Deborah Hyden Memorial Fund for Children at Shriners’ Hospital. Visitation services were held August 2nd at Wages and Sons Funeral Home (1031 Lawrenceville Highway, Lawrenceville), with the funeral August 3rd, at Wages beginning at 5 p.m. Please keep the Thompson and Hyden families in your prayers.

Please feel free, as always, to contact me anytime.

Sincerely,

Bruce LeVell
Chairman
404-409-5400