I am voting for David Shafer for Georgia GOP Chairman. I made the decision after the candidate forum in Albany.
David called me a few weeks ago and asked for my vote and support. I made no promises at the time because I know David well and also Scott Johnson. I have worked with both in some capacity and think highly of both of them.
A couple of weeks later, Scott called me and we had a great conversation. I made no promises to Scott either.
At the forum we saw three great candidates. Each candidate has unique strengths that would be of value to the party. We can only choose one.
One factor that led me to select David over the others was the phone call from him. I asked him why he was running. He shared similar answers that we hear from all the other candidates.
He added one thing. He said that he wanted to invest his time in the GOP and that he believed that he could make the biggest impact serving as Party Chair.
It was not so much the exact words that he said that impressed me. Every candidate for Party Chair wants to invest time for the GOP.
It was his sincere and humble sense of calling to run for Party Chair. He talked about investing his time in the context of how he has served in the State Senate and his desire to pour the same passion into the GOP.
Another reason that I decided on David is that he has a broad background in state politics. He pointed out the vital need to connect with both the big financial donors and big donors of time who do the work. From grassroots organizing to leadership under the gold dome, he knows how the process works and how to get things done.
At the forum, I felt that David presented himself best in his plan and his passion for the job. I believe that he is the one who is the best fit for a very challenging volunteer job that will require practically a full time investment.
David offered himself as a candidate for Lt. Governor. He narrowly missed a clear win in the primary. In the runoff he was hit with an endless barrage of negative ads and he lost by a razor thin margin. It was so close that there could have been a recount.
David conceded the race because he knew that Democrats were coming after every candidate in the general election. He felt that a recount would be a distraction from the higher goal of keeping a conservative Republican in the Lt. Governor’s office.
Every candidate for this kind of race in a party or primary usually makes a commitment to support the winner. In that painful and disappointing loss he practiced what he preached about his commitment to the Republican party.
He could have just as easily retired from the scene. He could have become bitter. He did neither. He invested his time, experience, and skills in helping Republican candidates.
Now he offers to invest his time in the place where he felt he can be most effective. I believe that is as Georgia GOP Party Chair.
If you are a delegate to the Georgia GOP convention, I recommend and endorse David Shafer. If you know someone who is a delegate, please pass on my recommendation to vote for David Shafer for Georgia GOP Chair.
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