Williamson County GOP Issues Resolution To Censure Disloyal Establishment Republicans That Seek To Undermine Grassroots Challengers

On September 3, 2024, the Williamson County Republican Party (WCRP) passed a resolution that emphasizes the growing tensions within the Republican Party. While the Republican establishment often insists that the fight is over "conservative values," this resolution reveals a deeper conflict between grassroots conservatives and the party elite. 

At its core, this is a turf war—a battle over who controls the direction of the party, with grassroots activists challenging the entrenched establishment for the future of county and even state level politics.

 A Breach of Party Loyalty and Accountability

 The WCRP resolution addresses a series of incidents in which current and previous Republican elected officials endorsed non-Republican candidates in local elections. This behavior runs directly counter to the bylaws of both the Tennessee GOP and the WCRP, which clearly state that no party official or member should endorse a non-Republican candidate in an election where a Republican is running.

 These actions by members of the Republican establishment—specifically, current and former School Board members Jay Galbreath and Sheila Cleveland, as well as Eric Welch and current D10 interim Williamson County Commissioner Cheryl Brown—have created significant friction within the party. By publicly supporting non-Republican candidates, they appear to be working to undermine the grassroots Republican base, and the candidates chosen by bona fide Republican voters.

 For grassroots conservatives, this goes beyond political disagreements. It is a breach of the covenant that Republican officials enter when they run, raise money, and are elected as Republicans. The grassroots base expects loyalty to the party and its principles, especially in an environment where the establishment is increasingly seen as prioritizing its own power over the values it claims to uphold.