The former head of the Forsyth County Republican Party has been selected for one of the top positions in the state party.

Delegates at the Georgia Republican Convention elected Carolyn Hall Fisher as first vice chair of Georgia Republican Party in Augusta on Saturday. Fisher was previously chair of the Forsyth County Republican Party until leaving the suit to pursue the state office. 

“I am extremely excited,” Fisher said. “I am overwhelmed by the support that I’ve had, especially here in my own county. I just want to do good things for the Republican Party and want to keep the start red and reach out to as many people as I possibly can to let them know we care about them.”

A nomination committee had endorsed Fisher as first vice chair and three others - Ken Brown, Vivian Childs and fellow Forsyth resident Michael Strollo - were nominated from the floor. Fisher was 21 votes shy of winning in the first round of votes and three shy in the second round before winning with an “overwhelming majority” in the third round. 

Fisher said she the first order of business is getting involved with the 6th congressional district race between Republican Karen Handel and Democrat Jon Osoff to replace U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Service Tom Price. 

“That’s the most important job right now,” she said. “We have got to get her elected and that’s what I’ll be doing for the next 11 days.”

She also said she wanted to get the party more involved in local elections, particularly outside of Atlanta. 

“I think a lot of the counties that are outside the Atlanta-area feel a little bit of disconnect with the state party and we’ve got to stop that,” Fisher said. “We’ve got to let them know the state party works for them and not the other way around.”

Delegates also selected John Watson, a lobbyist who has served as finance director for several campaigns in the state, as the new chairman of the party over Alex Johnson, Michael McNeely and Mike Welsh.

Fisher said she did not endorse any candidate and would not reveal her final vote because she wanted to have the trust of whoever was elected.

“I like every one of those people who were running, I met all of them on the campaign trail,” she said. “I’ve already talked to John today, he’s already reached out to me and I think we’re going to have a really great working relationship.”

Other than Fisher, District 27 state Sen. Michael Williams, who is running for governor, and District 26 state Rep. Geoff Duncan, who is running for lieutenant governor, spoke at the event.

“That was three people from Forsyth that were represented well at the convention and that was something that just warms my heart,” Fisher said. “The support I got from Forsyth County was amazing and I appreciate them all so much.”