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April 27, 2008

9th District Republican Party Holds Convention

Forsyth County well represented at Convention

During the previous weekend, Republicans from across north Georgia gathered in White County for a very special weekend. Concerned citizens, candidates, and elected officials from every county in Georgia’s 9th Congressional district were in attendance for the activities.

On Friday night, the 9th Congressional Republican Party officially kicked off the 2008 election cycle with the Road to Victory Banquet. State Republican Chair Sue Everhart was in attendance, thanking the crowd and congratulating the 9th District for its leadership and recent success. The crowd heard from a number of officials. State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox delivered the keynote address. The capacity crowd was inspired by a surprise visit by U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss.

The next morning, the 9th District GOP Convention featured a number of elected dignitaries in the Georgia House and Senate. The keynote address for the convention was given by Congressman Nathan Deal. Due to popular demand, the text of the touching keynote address of U.S. Congressman Nathan Deal will be available at the following website @ www.gagop9.org.

Andrew Miller, Forsyth County Republican Party Chairman, attended the convention in Cleveland, Georgia. Miller said, “The Forsyth County Republican Party(FCRP) was well represented at the 9th District convention. We had the largest number of delegates in attendance, several members participated in convention committees, and a member of the FCRP was selected to represent the 9th District as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention.”

The primary purpose of the 2008 convention was to elect the delegates and alternates to represent the 9th Congressional District at the Republican National Convention in September at Minneapolis, Minnesota. Voters elected Jeff Mullis (Walker County), Jay Neal (Catoosa County), and Josh Turner (White County) as delegates to the Republican National Convention in September. Bettye Chambers (Hall County), Dr. Charles White (White County), and Col. Lee Ellis (Forsyth County) were selected as alternates. All six individuals will participate in the convention.

Col. Ellis is a retired Air Force Colonel, ex-fighter pilot, instructor pilot, and a Vietnam veteran of 53 combat missions. In 1967, he was shot down and held as a POW for more than five years in Hanoi and surrounding camps. As a senior officer, his work focused on leadership development as Vice-Commandant of Squadron Officer School and commander of Air Force ROTC at the University of Georgia. Today, he lives in Suwanee with his wife, Mary.

When asked what he hoped to experience from the convention replied, “My first goal is to be a good representative for the 9th District and the State of Georgia. My second goal will be to help our presumptive nominee John McCain get elected as President of our country. As a former POW who served with John in Hanoi and as a friend, I believe he is the right man at the right time to lead our country in this highest office. I want to do what I can to help him win the election and reach this goal.”

Miller commented about the selection of Ellis to attend the convention, “Colonel Ellis is a veteran of the United States Air Force, a Vietnam POW, and a lifelong Republican. His service to America and our community is significant. It will be impossible to fully thank Col. Ellis, and service men and women like him, for their dedication and service to America and her citizens. I cannot emphasize enough how very proud we are to have a gentleman like Col. Ellis representing Forsyth County and the 9th Congressional Republican Parties at the national convention.”

Col. Ellis explained his support for Senator McCain, “I believe he is a servant leader who will make us all proud to be Americans. He is the best qualified to lead us in addressing the major issues of our time. He has a long-term view on the need to persist and outlast the terrorist who want to strike us down and destroy our economy and our way of life. He has also shown the political and personal courage to stand up for what he believes is right and change the way business is being done inside Washington. We need someone who can take on the politicians who have deserted the best interest of our people and who will push for fiscal responsibility and a more limited government. I’m confident he has the courage and the will to do these things.”

The Republican National Convention will be held September 1-4, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For more information, please go to http://www.gopconvention.com/.

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