The 9th District Republican Party issued a lengthy statement recently urging Gov. Kemp to veto a bill that would convert local offices in several of Georgia’s largest counties to nonpartisan elections under the premise, it says, that this is the only way Republicans and conservatives can remain competitive. “That premise is fundamentally flawed and politically reckless,” the statement reads
Democrats agree that the bill should not become law. Their reasoning is that it targets only those counties where Democrats have made strong inroads lately and now control most local governments – counties that had once, at least for some of them, been Republican strongholds..
“Voters deserve transparency. They deserve to know, from the outset, the principles and governing philosophy of the candidates they are voting for,” the northeast Georgia GOP statement says. “Party affiliation provides that clarity. Removing it does not create fairness. It removes critical information and forces voters to make decisions without a clear understanding of who a candidate is or what they stand for.
Here is the rest of the statement:
“It is also important to recognize that the offices impacted by HB 369 are not apolitical. Local officials make decisions on taxation, public safety, education, zoning, and economic development. These are inherently policy-driven responsibilities. Removing party identification does not make these offices nonpartisan. It only obscures the ideological frameworks guiding those decisions.
Furthermore, HB 369 extends into offices that directly touch the judicial system, including district attorneys. These roles carry significant constitutional and prosecutorial authority and are not designed to be nonpartisan in nature. Removing party identification from such positions raises serious legal and structural concerns and further underscores the flawed foundation of this legislation.
HB 369 also shifts these elections to coincide with primary election dates rather than general elections. Primary elections are historically low-turnout and are dominated by the most consistent partisan voters, not the electorate as a whole. Moving these races to that environment reduces participation, skews outcomes, and diminishes the representative nature of local elections. Additionally, this structure will all but guarantee costly summer runoff elections in these large counties, placing an unnecessary financial burden on local governments and taxpayers.
Nonpartisan elections do not remove politics from the process. They simply shift power toward name recognition and money. Well-funded candidates and special interests gain an even greater advantage, while grassroots candidates are placed at a disadvantage. Instead of providing clarity, this approach forces voters to rely on advertising, mailers, and outside influence rather than transparent identification of a candidate’s principles.
HB 369 goes even further by prohibiting candidates from being nominated by a political party, a political body, or even running as an independent in certain cases. This removes not only party identification, but multiple avenues of voter clarity and choice, further limiting transparency in the electoral process.
We have seen exactly how this plays out in other states. In Virginia, Colorado, California, Illinois, and New York, candidates have successfully presented themselves as moderates to voters, only to govern from the far left once in office. Eliminating party identification does not prevent this. It makes it easier.
The issue is not party identification. The issue is messaging, candidate development, and voter engagement. If Republicans are losing ground in certain areas, the answer is to improve how we communicate and compete, not to obscure who we are.
The 9th District Republican Party has been fighting efforts like this for more than fifteen years. Through multiple resolutions adopted by District Conventions and the District Committee, we have consistently and clearly opposed attempts to make any office nonpartisan. Transparency in elections is not a new concern for us. It is a long-standing principle, and HB 369 runs directly counter to it.
This legislation also represents a dangerous and accelerating slippery slope. Each cycle, it seems the legislature identifies another office to strip of party identification under the same misguided justification. Where does it end? What will Georgia’s elections look like when the only partisan office left on the ballot is President of the United States? How will voters be able to accurately identify the core principles, values, and governing philosophy of the individuals seeking office? This trajectory undermines the very foundation of informed voting and must be rejected.
It is also deeply concerning how this legislation was advanced. HB 369 was pushed through both chambers by gutting and replacing an unrelated piece of legislation, originally dealing with food trucks, and fast-tracked through the process in a manner that limited the ability of stakeholders and party organizations to review, respond, and organize opposition. That is not how sound public policy should be developed, especially on an issue of this magnitude.
It is also telling that opposition to HB 369 is coming from across the political spectrum. Democrats have already called for a veto and are threatening legal action on the constitutionality of this legislation. When both sides are raising serious concerns, it is a clear signal that this bill is deeply flawed.
This is not a reform. It is a short-sighted structural change that will weaken transparency, confuse voters, and ultimately backfire on Republicans across Georgia.
Governor Kemp has a long record of standing for strong principles and conservative leadership in Georgia, and we respectfully ask that he continue in that tradition here.
We respectfully urge him to veto HB 369.
We also strongly encourage Republicans across Georgia to contact Governor Kemp’s office directly and make their voices heard. Call, email, and respectfully urge him to veto this disastrous piece of legislation before it causes lasting damage to our elections and our stat