The Grand Old Party is thriving in Madison County

Mike Rump Madison County Republican Party Chairman Contributor The Republican Party—often referred to as the GOP (Grand Old Party)—was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act and the expansion of slavery into U.S. territories. By the late 1850s, it had risen as the main challenger to the dominant Democratic Party, establishing the two-party system that has defined American politics ever since. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican electe