CATOOSA GOP SUING ELECTION BOARD
Also, citizens group appealing board’s decision to keep Gop-rejected candidates on ballot
The Catoosa County Republican Party is suing the county’s election board for violating its “rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association.”
In addition, a group of a dozen citizens is appealing the election board’s decision to keep four GOPrejected candidates on the Republican general primary ballot. The group is alleging the board, during a hearing earlier this month, didn’t follow proper procedure and violated state law.
The group is also demanding that all four Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit judges recuse themselves from hearing their appeal. The judges have already recused themselves
from another aspect of the case.
The county’s Republican Party decided in early March to block four candidates — three incumbents on the current Board of Commissioners, plus a former commission chair — from qualifying as Republicans on the grounds they don’t adhere to the Georgia Republican Party’s platform. The candidates are: Larry
Black, commission chair; Jeff Long, District 1 commissioner; Vanita Hullander, District 2 commissioner; and Steven Henry, a former commission chairman. All four candidates had previously won their seats running as Republicans.
On April 2 the county Board of
Elections and Voter Registration, following a hearing, voted 4-1 to keep the candidates on the GOP ballot.
The Catoosa Republican Party, in prepared statement on Thursday, April 11, said:
“The Catoosa Board of Elections has violated the Catoosa County Republican Party’s rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association. Rather than uphold our 1st Amendment rights, the elections board is following legal advice from attorneys who are paid by the county commission where the majority are the very
people trying to force their way onto the Republican ballot to trick the voters. We have filed a federal lawsuit seeking justice in this attack on freedom.
“In addition, twelve electors are appealing the Board of Elections’ decision made at the April 2nd hearing. Based on the advice of the county attorneys, that meeting resembled a one-sided court proceeding instead of a public hearing. The attorneys for the pretenders to the Republican primary were allowed to call witnesses and give closing arguments while the citizens were not afforded these opportunities. The elections board also violated state law by not allowing video or audio recording devices to be brought into the meet
ing. The electors’ appeal has been filed in Superior Court.
“The Catoosa County Republican Party is committed to Draining the Swamp, and that starts with making sure non-republicans like Larry Black, Steven Henry, Vanita Hullander, and Jeff Long aren’t able to use the government to violate the rights of Catoosa County Citizens and lie to voters about their political affiliation.”
The lawsuit, “Catoosa County Republican Party and Joanna Hildreth (Catoosa GOP chair) vs. the Catoosa County Board of Elections and Voter Registration (and Elections Director Tonya Moore)” will be heard Wednesday morning, April 17, in federal court in Rome, Ga.