{"id":2603022,"date":"2026-05-15T08:06:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T12:06:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-cant-afford-to-sleep-on-georgias-supreme-court-elections\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T08:10:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T12:10:06","slug":"republicans-cant-afford-to-sleep-on-georgias-supreme-court-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-cant-afford-to-sleep-on-georgias-supreme-court-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP Can&#8217;t Afford To Sleep On Georgia&#8217;s Supreme Court Elections"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frepublicans-cant-afford-to-sleep-on-georgias-supreme-court-elections%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2603022&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Georgia is holding elections next week for three seats on the Georgia Supreme Court, even though the races are officially nonpartisan. Incumbents Charlie Bethel and Sarah Hawkins Warren-both appointed by former Republican Gov. Nathan Deal-face challengers Miracle Rankin and jen Jordan, while Justice Ben Land (appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp) runs unopposed.<\/p>\n<p>The article argues that the challengers are aligned with abortion-rights and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >voting-rights advocacy groups supported<\/a> by Democrats and organizations such as Planned Parenthood Action and the ACLU, while the incumbents are supported by Kemp and other Republicans. It points to recent Georgia Supreme Court decisions involving abortion and election-related disputes, highlighting that Bethel and Warren have been in the majority on rulings seen as favoring restrictions on abortion and enforcing state election rules.<\/p>\n<p>It also claims that if rankin and Jordan win, the court\u2019s ideological balance would shift from an 8-1 conservative majority to 6-3, possibly enabling Democrats to work toward a further shift in subsequent elections. The piece concludes that Supreme court control matters as the court handles major, high-impact litigation, and that failing to engage effectively coudl have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/14-democrats-join-the-gop-to-condemn-bidens-open-border-policies\/\" title=\"14 Democrats Defect to GOP, Condemn Biden&#039;s Open-Border Policies\">long-term political consequences<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The state of Georgia is about to hold elections for several pivotal state Supreme Court races next week. But you wouldn\u2019t know it by listening to national figures within the Republican Party.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside its 2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/georgia.gov\/georgia-general-election-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">primary elections<\/a>, the Peach State is slated to hold <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Georgia_Supreme_Court_elections,_2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">races<\/a> for three <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/georgia-supreme-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Georgia Supreme Court<\/a> seats on Tuesday, May 19. While officially \u201cnonpartisan,\u201d the cast of political characters lining up behind the candidates makes it fairly clear what side of the political spectrum they fall on.<\/p>\n<p>Next week\u2019s elections will see incumbent Justices Charlie Bethel and Sarah Hawkins Warren \u2014 both of whom were <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Georgia_Supreme_Court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">appointed<\/a> by former GOP Gov. Nathan Deal \u2014 face off against Miracle Rankin and Jen Jordan, respectively. Fellow incumbent Justice Ben Land, an appointee of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, is running unopposed. <\/p>\n<p>Bethel and Warren have garnered the <a href=\"https:\/\/georgiarecorder.com\/2026\/05\/09\/campaigns-enter-homestretch-as-trump-obama-try-to-whip-up-support-for-georgia-candidates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">support<\/a> of Kemp and other Republicans, while Rankin and Jordan have received the backing of former President <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BarackObama\/status\/2052452596821135613?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Barack Obama<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.md\/Yb0Gj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Democrats, and other pro-abortion forces<\/a> like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=d9ZaZfJ_VP0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Planned Parenthood Action<\/a>. Other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/emails-zuckbucks-group-coached-wi-clerk-on-misinformation\/\" title=\"Emails: &#039;Zuckbucks&#039; Group Coached WI Clerk On &#039;Misinformation&#039;\">notorious left-wing groups<\/a> like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/american-civil-liberties-union-aclu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Civil Liberties Union<\/a> have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acluga.org\/press-releases\/aclu-announces-campaign-to-educate-voters-in-georgia-supreme-court-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">launched<\/a> six-figure spending campaigns \u201con radio advertisements and direct-to-voter mailers\u201d to \u201ceducat[e] voters about where candidates stand on key civil liberties and civil rights issues\u201d \u2014 including so-called \u201cabortion rights\u201d and \u201cvoting rights.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Georgia Supreme Court has been asked to handle many significant policy issues in recent years, with abortion being among them. And it\u2019s fairly obvious that Rankin and Jordan are gunning to use their sought-after positions to advance their political allies\u2019 cause if elected. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an observation Advancing American Freedom\u2019s Hans von Spakovsky made in a recent James Magazine <a href=\"https:\/\/jamesmagazinega.com\/2026\/05\/13\/opinion-may-19th-election-will-radicals-poison-georgias-supreme-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">article<\/a>. The elections specialist noted how Rankin and Jordan are \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gpb.org\/news\/2026\/04\/21\/democrats-bet-on-two-state-supreme-court-races\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">abortion activists<\/a>\u201d and \u201crunning to create a nonexistent right to abortion in the state constitution\u00a0and, no doubt, other legal fantasies of the radical left.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a significant detail when considering the Georgia Supreme Court\u2019s recent role in handling litigation contesting the state\u2019s pro-life law. In late 2024, the high court <a href=\"https:\/\/georgiarecorder.com\/briefs\/georgia-supreme-court-reinstates-six-week-abortion-ban-while-state-appeals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blocked<\/a> in large part a lower court ruling that prohibited the Peach State\u2019s six-week limit on abortion from going into effect.<\/p>\n<p>The decision was 6-1, with both Bethel and Warren in the majority. <\/p>\n<p>Outside of abortion, the Peach State\u2019s high court has also been asked to weigh in on key election-related matters in recent years. <\/p>\n<p>A day before the 2024 election, the Georgia Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/11\/04\/georgia-supreme-court-rules-democrat-led-county-cant-accept-thousands-of-late-absentee-ballots\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stepped in<\/a> to prevent Democrat-run Cobb County from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sf-city-attorney-calls-out-teachers-unions-vaccine-demands-unlawful\/\" title=\"SF City Attorney Calls Out Teachers\u2019 Union\u2019s Vaccine Demands: \u2018Unlawful\u2019\">violating state law<\/a> by accepting and counting more than 3,000 late-arriving absentee ballots. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25268100-gasctord110424\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruling<\/a> was 5-3, with Bethel and Warren once again in the majority. <\/p>\n<p>Bethel and Warren were also part of the Georgia Supreme Court\u2019s 4-3 majority <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gasupreme.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/s25c0587.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">decision<\/a> that <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/09\/16\/georgia-supreme-court-upholds-disqualification-of-fani-willis-in-get-trump-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">upheld<\/a> the disqualification of Fulton County District Attorney <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/fani-willis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fani Willis<\/a> from her lawfare against Donald Trump and nearly two dozen Republicans. As The Federalist <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/09\/16\/georgia-supreme-court-upholds-disqualification-of-fani-willis-in-get-trump-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>, the high court rejected Willis\u2019 appeal of a lower court ruling that barred her and her team \u201cfrom prosecuting Trump and the aforementioned Republicans following revelations that exposed acts of impropriety among the DA and her get-Trump allies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rankin and Jordan victories in the May 19 elections wouldn\u2019t give outright control of the Peach State\u2019s highest court to leftists. Should they prevail, it would move the court from an 8-1 conservative majority to 6-3. <\/p>\n<p>It would, however, put Democrats in a position to flip control of the court two years from now. As <a href=\"https:\/\/boltsmag.org\/georgia-supreme-court-elections-may-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">noted<\/a> by Bolts magazine, \u201cThree more Georgia justices come up for election in 2028, meaning that a victory from this year\u2019s challengers could even open a longshot path for a liberal majority on the court ahead of that year\u2019s presidential election.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Republicans cannot afford to lose more state Supreme Court races than they already have. The party\u2019s inaction on effective GOTV measures has already proven costly in battlegrounds like <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/06\/planned-parenthood-lackey-seeks-seat-on-wisconsin-supreme-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/11\/05\/pennsylvania-votes-yes-to-another-decade-of-leftist-supreme-court-activism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pennsylvania<\/a>, whose high courts are now dominated by liberal majorities. <\/p>\n<p>As shown above, these courts are instrumental in handling litigation involving some of the most important issues in the country. Ignoring their importance and surrendering them to the left would have disastrous consequences for years to come.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Georgia will hold key Supreme Court elections next week, yet national Republicans barely mention them. On Tuesday, May 19, three seats will be contested<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2603025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Georgia-Supreme-Court.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[35468,6203,32275],"class_list":["post-2603022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-georgia-elections","tag-gop","tag-supreme-court"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Georgia-Supreme-Court.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2603022"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603022\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2603027,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603022\/revisions\/2603027"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2603025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2603022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2603022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2603022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}