Gilmer County Republican Party 2019 County Convention

ELLIJAY, Ga. – The Gilmer County Republican Party met on Saturday, March 9, 2019, at the Gilmer County Courthouse to hold their Precinct Mass Meetings and County Convention.

According to County Convention Chairman Stephen Aaron, who was previously appointed as such by Chairman Richie Stone, the Precinct Mass Meetings and County Convention are held once every two years. This makes the next County Convention take place in the year 2021. According to Carol Bollinger, Precinct Chairman of the Yukon Precinct, the turnout could have been better, but cites that the Conventions have generally been held on a Tuesday, and has just in recent years been changed to take place on Saturday.

Part one of the convention, the Precinct Mass Meetings, started at 9 a.m. with the 13 precincts of Gilmer County voting for delegates and a precinct secretary and chairman. These delegates are representatives for part two of the meeting, the County Convention. According to the Gilmer County Republican Party website, “Each precinct has a certain number of delegates based on its votes in the 2016 Presidential election. Generally, however, there are enough delegate slots such that all the participants can be delegates to the County Convention.”

At 10 a.m., after the Precinct Mass Meetings and a brief recess, the County Convention began, which is a meeting of all of the delegates from the precincts. During this meeting, the delegates elected officers for the county Republican party for the next two years as well as delegates and alternates for the District and State conventions to come.

Sally Forest was nominated Convention Secretary and elected uncontested.  Lynch was then nominated by Stephen Aaron, with Sheriff Stacy Nicholson being appointed Sergeant at Arms.

During the Preliminary Report from the Credentials Committee, the Ellijay South precinct was reported to have 27 delegates, 7 present. Cartecay had 18 delegates, 4 present. Tails Creek had 16 delegates, 1 present. Town Creek had 11 delegates, 0 present. Leeches had 25 delegates, 2 present. Cherry Log had 9 delegates, 0 present. Boardtown had 15 delegates, 1 present. Mountaintown had 13 delegates, 0 present. East Ellijay had 16 delegates, 1 present. Ellijay North had 17 delegates, 2 present. Yukon had 14 delegates, 1 present. Big Creek had 16 delegates, 0 present. Ellijay North East had 19 delegates, 5 present.

According to Lynch, not much was reported to have changed for the Gilmer County Republican Party bylaws. However, the Assistant Secretary position was removed. The Communications Director was given a title and made a more substantial part of the community. The word “Board” was removed, the term County Executive Committee now being used throughout the bylaws. No further proposed amendments were made and these were adopted by the party uncontested.

During the report from the Nominating Committee, parliamentarian Lynch nominated Richie Stone as chairman, Rita Odom as 1st Vice-Chairman, Gary Engel as 2nd Vice-chairman, Georgia Cobble as Secretary, and Trent Sanford as Treasurer. No additional nominations were made, and all were elected uncontested.

There were 15 slots for Delegates for the District Convention to come, with no alternates. There were no additional nominations, and all were elected uncontested.

There were 11 slots for the Delegates for the State Convention to come, with two alternates. Gary Engel was then nominated as an alternate, and all were elected uncontested.

During Resolutions from the Resolutions Committee, Glenda Sue Johnson, Clerk of Superior Court for over 34 and a half years, was recognized during the convention for her outstanding public service to Gilmer County, as well as the Republican Party. No other resolutions were made.

Up next is the District Convention on Saturday, April 13, 2019, in Dillard, Georgia, in which 17 people from the 9th District of Georgia will be elected to serve on the Georgia State Republican committee, or the statewide body which acts for the party between conventions. After that will be the State Convention on May 17-18, 2019, in Savannah, Georgia.

Membership to the Gilmer County Republican Party is open to all legal voters, though if you’re not a resident of Gilmer County, you won’t be able to be a delegate to the conventions.

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