Ga. Republicans ‘upset,’ ‘angry’ after Tuesday’s election, turn attention to 2028

ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon said Republicans are feeling waves of emotions after Tuesday, when Democrats achieved historical success in the midterm elections.

“Obviously people are disappointed. People are upset. People are angry. That is a natural reaction when you invest the time, the money, the energy into something like this and you don’t get the results you want,” McKoon said.

McKoon said the next six months will be critical as the party prepares for 2028.

Party statement after results

On Tuesday, as results were being finalized, the Georgia Republican Party released a statement after several reported losses for Republican candidates.

“Tonight’s outcome is not what our candidates worked so hard to achieve. We respect the will of Georgia’s voters, and we hope those elected will serve all of Georgia,” the statement said.

The statement added that the party will strengthen its local parties, welcome new voices and develop leaders.

“Our next chapter begins with that responsibility. We will strengthen our local parties, welcome new voices, and develop leaders who understand that public service starts with showing up and listening,” the statement said.

The statement also addressed Republicans who were disappointed by the results.

“To everyone disappointed tonight: take heart. We will never stop fighting for a Georgia that puts faith, families, and freedom first,” the statement said.

McKoon on the results

On Thursday, McKoon said the results came from a combination of three factors.

“A failure to turn out voters that we needed to show up and vote for us, Democrats doing a better job than in a typical midterm turning out their vote, and then independents clearly appearing to break strongly for the Democratic ticket,” McKoon said. “And those are all things, trends that we’re going to need to learn from.”

McKoon said voter turnout south of I-20 did not keep pace with four years ago.

“What we saw on Tuesday were a lot of voters that we needed, stayed home. They chose not to vote,” McKoon said.

McKoon said the party is starting to focus on the 2028 elections, when voters will decide the country’s next president. One of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats will also be up for re-election.

“We’re going to spend the next six months articulating an agenda, casting a vision, not just for rural Georgia but for urban Georgia as well for candidates to get behind,” McKoon said.

McKoon on President Trump

When asked, McKoon said the results were not a reflection of the president or his policies.

“President Trump, I think, had to deal with Iran,” McKoon said. “I think President Trump made the right decision; there’s obviously been a political cost associated with that decision.”

McKoon said he believes future candidates will emulate aspects of President Trump and the political movement he started in 2016.

“I think in 2028, you’re going to see a nominee emerge that integrates a lot of President Trump’s positions going forward,” McKoon said. “So, I don’t think it’s a flash in the pan, or he’s a man of the moment and we snap back to a 2012 version of the Republican party.”

Campaign coordination

McKoon said the major Republican campaigns for governor, U.S. Senate and Georgia House were operating in silos and lacked coordination.

“There was a lot of siloing in this election,” McKoon said.

“Having those campaigns not together, not campaigning together, not appearing to be on the same page, was certainly something that was hurtful for the ticket,” McKoon said, specifically addressing the governor and senatorial campaigns.

McKoon also said the House Republican caucus made its own decisions during the campaign.

“The House Republican caucus has really sort of gone its own way,” McKoon said. “I think there was some significant mistakes made in terms of investments and tactics during the campaign that could have saved several of these seats and maintain the majority.”

McKoon on the General Assembly

McKoon said he expects the General Assembly to be disrupted with a Democratic-controlled House and a Democratic governor-elect.

“The General Assembly is probably going to be the most chaotic it’s been in two decades, because you’re going to have a House controlled by the Democrats, and fairly extreme Democrats,” McKoon said.

McKoon said Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms could face opposition in the state Senate.

“When Governor Bottoms is trying to move her agenda through the legislature, she’s going to hit a roadblock in the state Senate. Does that mean we’ll have extra sessions, special sessions? Will the state budget not get funded in a timely manner?” McKoon said.

McKoon said he fears an extreme state agenda.

“This is a left-wing, woke Democratic leadership that’s going to pursue an extreme agenda. And I think when Georgians see that in action, they’re going to react very strongly to it,” McKoon said.

Bottoms outlines transition and priorities

Bottoms, who defeated Republican candidate Rick Jackson by nine points, said she flipped seven counties that voted for President Trump in 2024.

At a news conference, Bottoms named healthcare, veterans affairs, seniors and women’s rights as key issues she plans to address.

Bottoms said she spoke with Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday.

“It was a very good conversation,” Bottoms said. “And his team is going to be available to us to help us with an orderly transition and a productive transition, so I’m grateful to him for extending that offer.”

Bottoms said she wants to work on behalf of Georgians who did not support her campaign.

In the hours after her win, Bottoms said she believes in balance.

“We are a state that’s done really well in moderation. We don’t do our best work, in my opinion, with extremes, on one side or the other,” Bottoms said.