(COLUMBUS, Ga.) — Thursday marks the eve of the Georgia Republicans’ party convention, when nearly 2,000 delegates descend upon the Columbus Convention & Trade Center in the state’s southwest flank.

Outgoing Georgia GOP chair David Shafer has said that he won’t be running for re-election, and his replacement’s election will be on the docket this weekend.

Republican operative Brian Robinson told WSB’s Sandra Parrish that he’s hopeful that whoever is elected will be able to bridge the divide created by the far-right sect of the party.

Former President Trump will be in attendance, along other far-right Republicans like Reps. Marjorie Taylor-Greene and Andrew Clyde. A number of out-of-staters will also make appearances, including Kari Lake, failed governor’s candidate in Arizona. Another cohort of speakers is presidential hopefuls, including former vice president Mike Pence, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.

The most glaring absence? Governor Brian Kemp is expected to skip the convention, highlighting his wing of the party’s reluctance to embrace the most ideologically extreme positions. In fact, aside from Lt. Gov Burt Jones, no major ranking Georgia Republicans will actually attend the Georgia Republicans’ party convention.

WSB reporter Sandra Parrish contributed to reporting for this story.

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