Third Republican presidential candidate commits to attend Georgia GOP convention in Columbus

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off, Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Clive, …

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off, Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Clive, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

by: Chuck Williams

Posted: May 23, 2023 / 03:53 PM EDT

Updated: May 23, 2023 / 03:53 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — A third Republican presidential candidate will appear at the state convention in Columbus next month.

Vivek Ramaswamy will speak to the Republican delegates, state party Chairman David Shafer confirmed.

The Georgia Republicans will convene in Columbus on June 9 and 10 at the Convention & Trade Center downtown. Ramaswammy is scheduled to speak on Friday afternoon.

Former President Donald Trump will speak Saturday afternoon. The Saturday morning Victory Breakfast will feature former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson.

Shafer says at least two more presidential candidates are considering invitations to attend the convention. They have not committed yet.

The convention is drawing some of the presidential contenders as several of the top Georgia Republicans are sitting out the convention.

Gov. Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr have said they will not attend. All three made that public before Trump committed last week.

Kemp and Raffensperger have been frequent targets of Trump after he lost Georgia by a narrow margin in the 2020 presidential race.

Trump’s visit to Georgia will come as his actions in the wake of the 2020 presidential election have been the subject of an investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.