Georgia GOP Chairman David Shafer Talks 2020 Strategy And More

GA GOP Chairman David Shafer talks 2020 strategy.

Grace Walker / WABE

Earlier this year, local businessman David Shafer was elected as chairman of the Georgia Republican party, after former party chair John Watson announced he would not seek re-election.

Shafer has a long history with the state party; at the age of 25 he was appointed Executive Director of the Georgia Republican Party.

In 2002, Shafer was elected to the State Senate. Now as chairman of the state’s Republican party, Shafer reflects on the leadership of the Trump administration, this year’s state legislative session and priorities, nationally and locally, for the Republican party heading into 2020.

On Medicaid Expansion

“Medicaid is a program that exists to help children, women who are pregnant and to help people who are aging, blind deaf — people who have severe disabilities — frankly we’re not spending enough taking care of those vulnerable populations. What [Democrats] mean by Medicaid expansion is by enrolling in that same program able-bodied people with no dependents — that doesn’t make any sense when we’re not, frankly, paying enough to take care of the people who are truly vulnerable.”

On 2020 strategy

I want to see [President] Donald Trump carry Georgia again, I want to see [Senator] David Perdue re-elected to the United States Senate, I think he’s done a tremendous job representing Georgia. There will be heavily contested congressional races in the suburbs of Atlanta in both the 6th and 7th Districts. The 6th District we’ll be hoping to take back and the 7th District we’ll hop to hold on to. I’d like to see us reclaim some of those state legislative seats we lost in the suburbs two years ago.”