The Whig Party of Georgia Submitted the required political party registration to the Georgia Secretary of State. The registration is required in order to have a candidate listed on any ballot in the state. The last time the Whig Party was officially recognized in Georgia was 1853. Out of the first 12 Governors of Georgia 10 were Early Whigs. Whig Governors include: Archibald Bulloch, Button Gwinnett, John A. Treutlen and in 1843 George W. Crawford.
The Whigs were modernizers who saw President Andrew Jackson as a dangerous man with a reactionary opposition to the forces of social, economic and moral modernization. The men who formed the Whig party, led by Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams, drew on a Jefferson tradition of compromise and balance in government, national unity and domestic manufacturing.
Today, more than ever, it is clear we need to replace the existing “truths” of governance in America with some new ones. Whigs believe it is critical for citizens to re-engage in civic affairs with new tools and a different mindset. Citizens’ over reliance on political parties as their proxy in government has in large part caused the mess we’re in, as predicted by our first Commander-in-Chief, General George Washington.
The Whig Party of Georgia is a pragmatic, common sense, centrist-oriented party where rational solutions trump ideology and integrity trumps impunity. Our core modern Whig philosophy relies on several fundamental tenets:
INDEPENDENT THINKING, Modern Whigs try to practice independent critical thought.
INTEGRITY is as fundamental a pillar to Modern Whigs as Independent Thought. Integrity means honesty and a commitment to an ethical approach to politics. Integrity in thought, integrity in action.
Whig Party of Georgia’s platform and what they believe can be found at www.Gawhig.org
Contact
Aulton H White
2298343200
[email protected]
That right there proves why the premise for ballot access restrictions is a false one.
I believe you mean Mississippi, and yes why more parties aren’t ballot-qualified there I will never know. I’ve heard the climate isn’t great for third parties there, but all you need is a few people to sign on as party officers & a statement of principles and BOOM you can run anyone you want in the state.
I have never understood why new parties attempt party status in state with difficult laws. Take the easy path. Missouri has an extremely low threshold and it would give your party the chance to get their feet wet.
Now for the Whig Party in the 1850’s During this time there was issues that divided the party. The Republican party was found by Northern Whigs. A. Lincoln was a Whig but did join the Republican party. The Democratic party was formed from the old Democrat-Republican party.
The last Official Whig in Georgia was in 1853.
TITLE 21. ELECTIONS
CHAPTER 2. ELECTIONS AND PRIMARIES GENERALLY
ARTICLE 3. REGISTRATION OF AND COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND BODIES
O.C.G.A. § 21-2-110 (2013)
§ 21-2-110. Filing of registration statements by political parties or bodies with the Secretary of State; contents of registration statements; amendments; filing fees; failure to file statement
(a) The chief executive officer of each political party or body operating in this state shall, within 60 days after the date of its organization or after June 24, 1964, whichever is later, file with the Secretary of State a registration statement setting forth:
(1) Its name and the date and place of its creation;
(2) The general purposes for which it was created;
(3) Certified copies of its charter, bylaws, rules, and regulations, and other documents of like dignity governing its organization and operation;
(4) The address of its principal office;
(5) The names, home addresses, and titles of the persons composing its governing committee and executive officers; and
(6) Such other information as the Secretary of State may require as necessary or appropriate in the public interest.
(b) The chief executive officer of each municipal executive committee, whose state executive committee has already filed with the Secretary of State as a political party or body, shall promptly file with the city clerk of the municipality and with its state political party or body executive committee a registration statement setting forth:
(1) Its name and certified copies of its charter, bylaws, rules and regulations, and other documents of like dignity governing its organization and operation;
(2) The address of its principal office; and
(3) The names of its members, home addresses, and titles of the persons composing its governing committee and executive officers.
(c) No registration statement of a party, body, or municipal executive committee shall be filed if the name of such party, body, or municipal executive committee is identical with, or deceptively similar to, the name of any other existing party, body, or municipal executive committee which was organized earlier and is eligible at the time to file its registration statement with the Secretary of State.
(d) Within 30 days after the occurrence of a change in the information contained in any registration statement, or prior amendment thereto, the chief executive officer of the party, body, or municipal executive committee filing such statement shall file an amendment thereto setting forth the information necessary to maintain the currency of such statement.
(e) The Secretary of State shall receive a fee of $10.00 for filing each registration statement required by subsection (a) of this Code section and a fee of $2.00 for filing each amendment thereto.
(f) A political party, body, or municipal executive committee failing to file a registration statement as required by subsection (a) or (b) of this Code section at least 60 days before any primary or election at which it shall seek to have candidates on the ballot shall not have its name or the names of its candidates placed on any nomination petition, ballot, or ballot label.
Now for State House or Senate will need depending on the district only 500 signatures for ballot access.
Filing in Georgia means that if anyone running for office in the general election by petition wants to use the “Whig” label, the state knows who the Whig Party officers are and can ask the Whig Party officers if the candidate can use that label. All the petitions for district office and county office are horribly difficult, 5% of the number of registered voters, so it isn’t likely that any Whigs will appear on the general election ballot with the party label, unless the party has resources to hire paid circulators. No minor party candidate for US House has ever met the 5% petition requirement, and it has existed since 1943.
I was hoping you’d comment on this, Mr. Winger. What exactly does filing for party registration mean in Georgia? I assume they’ll need to overcome massive hurdles to run statewide or House candidates, but can they run local candidates under the Whig banner?
No parties were “official recognized” in Georgia or any state as early as 1843. Parties were completely outside state election laws back then. There were no government-printed ballots and no laws that even acknowledged the existence of political parties.