Nina Blackwelder looks to lead Coweta GOP, filling void of fraudulent Frost

According to a recent release from State GOP chairperson Josh McCoon, Brant Frost V, embroiled in a scandalous Ponzi scheme, has resigned from the chairperson of the Coweta County Republican Party. 

According to Nina Blackwelder, who has put her hat in the game to become the next chairperson, Frost has yet to actually resign.

That is supposed to happen on August 28, when the countywide GOP meets to handle his resignation as well as elections and bylaws. According to Blackwelder the meeting is significant, “because it is the largest voting body of the Republican Party here in the county.”

In Coweta County, the Republican Party often determines the county. Something like 70% of the county typically votes Republican. 66% voted for President Trump in the latest election. 69% voted for Congressional Representative Brian Jack. 78% voted for State House Representative David Jenkins. So if Nina Blackwelder is chosen to be the next leader, this is a powerful position in the community. 

Is she up for it? Just who is Nina Blackwelder? Nina has solid Republican bonafides. She’s a State Committee Member of the Georgia Republican Party. She’s been a dues paying member of the Coweta GOP since 2018, having served in campaigns and precinct work. She’s a former chair of the Georgia Young Republicans and founded the South Metro Young Republicans, which used to be Fayette-Coweta. She ran for State House in 2019. She got politically involved and has been working on campaigns since the “Ron Paul Revolution” in 2012. 

Professionally, Nina does several things. She owns a boutique firearms store. She also works for an international firm doing executive leadership development as a consultant. And she’s only 37. 

Nina lives in Coweta County in the Canongate voting district. Her two kids both graduated from Northgate High School, in the last two consecutive years. They’ve been in Coweta County Schools since Blackwelder moved into the county in 2016. 

What does she want to see in Coweta County? Blackwelder said, “It’s a great time to refresh the Coweta County Republican Party. We’re having this leadership transition. It’s a great opportunity to address centralization. Historically, the Coweta GOP has had very centralized decision making and this hindered our growth potential. And I really want to take this as a time to bring Republicans back home. So if you have been disenfranchised or you felt that you weren’t welcome or maybe been curious but you haven’t come in, I want them to come back. I want people to join. I want there to be growth.”

She continued, “My vision is to use the recruit-train-elect model, recruit volunteers and people to the party, train them so they can be effective in educating others and developing them for leadership roles. And then elect. The number one mandate of a county Republican party is to elect Republicans. 

“The Coweta GOP spent a lot of time focusing on state and national issues. I want to bring our focus back to county issues. There are eight municipalities in Coweta County, and we are not giving them nearly the attention and support and just overall involvement that we could be. And it’s really important for me, for us to work together to be invested in those communities. We’ve been a very Newnan-centered club and we should be giving attention to all the municipalities.”

As a millennial, Nina Blackwelder wants Coweta to know that she is “young and energized” to lead. And since it looks like no other Cowetans have stepped up to challenge her yet, the Coweta County Republican Party may be in her hands on August 28.