Ignoring Garland County MAGA Voters

Arkansas Republican Party power struggles continue into 2025 as Governor Sanders, GOP lawmakers, and legacy donors who shut out the properly conducted, largest-ever Republican State Convention last June continue to choke down and shut out MAGA voters, those Republican party members who put our state’s Republican trifecta government and President Donald J. Trump into office.

The new year began with a bang as old guard Republicans are closing ranks to in their attempts to weaken the growing grassroots influence within Republican county committees as they elect officers for 2025-2026.

“We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Rules”

After the last couple years of shenanigans within the Garland County Republican Committee, outgoing Party Chairman Marcia Albaugh shredded the announced agenda for the 2025-2026 organizational meeting on January 2 to jam through a new slate of executive officers, all the while ignoring “large numbers of loud and vocal ‘nos’ from the membership.”

As we have come to expect when the old guard decides to manipulate a specific outcome, numerous local and former Republican elected officials were in the room that evening, including state Rep. Richard McGrew, County Sheriff Mike McCormick, County Judge Darryl Mahoney, and most of the county JPs. Without conducting a vote to suspend, Albaugh immediately abandoned the previously distributed agenda and proceeded to install the pre-selected slate of new officers.

Using the dictatorial tactic now so routine for the state’s Republican old guard, Albaugh began by telling the room of over 100 members (standing room only) that “no one would be allowed to speak unless they were called upon,” a blatant violation of basic Roberts Rules to prevent points of information/points of order from members. She instructed the room to raise their hands to request to be recognized. “I’ll decide” if motions or points raised “are applicable or not,” she said.

Albaugh first named her appointed nominating committee: current state Senators Matt McKee and Alan Clark (the area’s state Senators), former state Representative Mickey Gates, and Larry Bailey (former County GOP Chair/State Committeeman/Fourth District Chair). Members noted that “only elected or former elected officials were asked” to serve on the nominating committee, “not everyday Republican members,” and have since questioned how Gates could properly serve on the same nominating committee that nominated him for an officer’s position.

When Senator Clark pointed out that he and others “have been in this Committee since the 1980s,” several attendees say he “talked down to us and disrespected us as if we were less important because we joined at a later date!”

No Nominations Allowed

After listing the pre-selected slate of officers — who were not introduced to the room, nor did they give speeches — Albaugh “simply announced that they had all been vetted and that they would all be voted on together by acclimation with only a voice yay or nay, with no counted or ballot vote.” She further explained “she had been given authority for the slate to be voted on together by acclamation and that there would be no discussion,” even though the Committee’s October minutes say nominations will be taken from floor for the January election of officers.

Parliamentary rules the GOP says it follows (Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, Section 46:18) also mandate that officer nominations must be opened to the floor; however, Albaugh shut out “at least three members who wished to be candidates for the executive positions … [who] were prepared with their nomination speeches for the membership” but were given no opportunity to participate.

Albaugh noted that, although she “had announced three different times that anyone who wished to run for office was to call and notify her, only one person had called her, and the nominating committee had determined this person was not qualified to run.”

Current Officers Not Qualified?

She added that if a member “had not called her as requested, they would not be allowed to run.” Garland County Republicans’ 2023-2024 2nd VP, former Garland County Treasurer Tim Stockdale, said he had called but he was somehow disqualified for the 2025-2026 slate with no explanation to the membership. Members say “5 minutes before the meeting, [nominating committee member] Gates told Justin Nicklas he would fill that position.”

Another 2023-2024 Garland County officer, Dayton Myers (Garland County JP who sponsored the failed pro-life resolution), was told “you’re not on the slate, we have someone else,” just before the January 2 meeting.

“According to the agenda, the new chair was to take over the meeting after the chair position election,” but members say Albaugh also never turned the meeting over to new Chair Gaylon Boshears once he was elected and proceeded to conduct the remainder of elections herself.

Garland County’s installed officers for 2025-2026 are
Chair: Gaylon Boshears
1VP: JP Debbie McGrew
2VP: Justin Nicklas
3VP: former state Rep. Mickey Gates
Secretary: Garland County Clerk Sarah Smith
Treasurer: JP Jeremy Brown
Election Commissioners: Gene Haley, Paul Miller

Walking Out

Disgusted by the proceedings, at least a third of the membership walked out, followed by Garland County’s State Committeeman Jim Lehnerd and State Committeewoman Laura Romaly, who remained long enough to present their reports before leaving the meeting that adjourned very shortly afterward.  As one MAGA member left the room in disgust, state Rep. Bruce Cozart called out, “Go start your own Republican Party!”

Garland County members later asked by letter for a meeting with the 2023-2024 4th District Chair Eddie Arnold, who is now the RPA’s National Committeeman.  However, Arnold responded only with a suggestion to file an Article 2 Rules complaint:

“Yes, I am know you are frustrated, but the rules really do not provide for me to step in and address this. Here is the method to address this, from the RPA rules, County Committee, Section 11–Rules Review.”

Following the RPA Rules, some members had tried calling a special Committee meeting back in July, 2024, to “guide the Committee into alignment with the Rules” (See below Official Call), but obviously old guard Republicans are hellbent to ignore the will of MAGA Republican voters in Garland County — and otherwise across the state, as we have reported before.

The next meeting of the Garland County Republican Committee is Thursday, February 6.

UPDATE 02/09/2024:  State Rep. Richard McGrew is currently serving in the Arkansas Legislature, Tim Stockdale was Garland County Republicans’ 2nd VP in 2023-2024, and Dayton Myers is a current Garland County JP.

Elizabeth Sotallaro

God’s child, Arkansas conservatarian
#TheMoreYouKnow