The Republican Party: Principles not Politicians
“The party exists to serve the people — not politicians, not the political industry, and not the highest bidder” —Guest Opinion By Alex Johnson
Guest Opinion By Alex Johnson
What is the Republican Party for?
Not just “getting Republicans elected.” That’s a means, not the mission.
The mission is bigger — and simpler: to enact a party platform that strengthens our constitutional Republic. Elections are one of the tools we use to get there.
When we forget the mission, the label gets hijacked.
For years, we’ve been sold a toxic idea:
“A Republican is whoever wins a Republican primary.”
That lie turns the principled party into a ballot-access method and reduces grassroots volunteers to cheerleaders for a word, instead of guardians of a platform.
But people don’t join the GOP to worship a label. They join because they believe certain principles, like those reflected in historic GOP platforms and advocated by the Georgia Republican Assembly (https://www.georgiara.com/), are best for Georgia and America.
A party must define its standards and brand or someone else will. You’ll often hear the Establishment lie that the party needs to be “neutral” before the primaries to “help the party” and not take a side. You are one of the ones that pay attention to the politicians, and have been involved in the party: you need to take a side and to lead.
The only reason the Establishment wants you to remain neutral/silent is because they know that you and the party can counteract their money and expenditures when you take the side of principle. The political industry doesn’t lie and demand your neutrality to help the party: they do it because they are afraid of the party actually standing for its platform.
Political parties exist to stand for something. Candidates are not entitled to use the party’s reputation if they won’t honor the party’s principles once in office or support the party between elections to educate the public on the platform.
When the party refuses to set standards and to lead, here’s what happens:
• Primaries become shopping malls for ambition and money.
• Consultants and vendors (part of the “Paid Political Industry“) profit from bigger fields and bigger spending.
• Wealthy interests buy influence — and voters get stuck “supporting the nominee” (“the lesser of two evils“) no matter what.
That’s not unity. That’s surrender.
Georgia can prove a point: the party can draw lines.
Georgia Republicans have taken formal steps to say: you don’t get to attack the party and still wear its jersey.
• The Georgia Republican Party’s State Executive Committee adopted a resolution expelling former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (Jan. 6, 2025). He’s then started running as a Democrat.
• Delegates at the 2025 Georgia GOP convention adopted a resolution prohibiting the GAGOP from qualifying Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger under the GOP banner going forward.
Whether so-called “leaders” are afraid of litigation is a separate question but the principle is correct: the Republican name should not be “for rent” by those who don’t believe in our platform.
The grassroots should define the platform and defend it. We gain more voters by getting others to understand and believe in the platform.
The platform is supposed to be written by Republican citizens, through conventions. The platform should not be by donors, not by lobbyists, not by consultants, and not by backroom pressure.
And once that platform is set, the party should have the courage to say:
• If you support it, run with us.
• If you won’t, run as an Independent or under another label — but don’t mislead voters by stealing ours.
What you can do right now
1. Read the principles of the Georgia Republican Assembly and applying to join: www.GeorgiaRA.com
2. Share this message with friends who care about politics and the party’s future
3. Get involved in the convention process next year: that’s where the platform is created and protected.
The party exists to serve the people — not politicians, not the political industry, and not the highest bidder. We need the party to stand for basic Republican principles and the politicians work to get those principles enacted.
Let’s make it happen.
If you agree the Republican label should mean something, please forward this to one principled friend today.
The above originally appeared on the Georgia Republican Assembly web page on March 1, 2026, written by Alex Johnson.
Johnson is a member of the Georgia Republican Assembly and President of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies. He recently addressed the Alabama Republican Assembly (ALRA) at their Convention in Vestavia Hills.
For more information on the ALRA, follow them on the web at https://alabamarepublicanassembly.org or on social media.
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