Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Judge Ralph VanPelt, a Chattooga County native, submitted his resignation to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Monday.

VanPelt had served on the bench for twenty-six years and held court in Chattooga, Walker, Dade and Catoosa Counties that make up the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit.

Judge VanPelt’s resignation brings the upcoming election for Superior Court Judge into question.  Already, one candidate – Melissa Hise, a Summerville attorney that lives in Walker County, had declared her intentions to run agains VanPelt for the position.  But now, the door is open for Governor Brian Kemp to appoint someone to the bench and forgo the election.

Should the governor appoint someone, there wouldn’t be an election for two more years.

In his resignation statement, Judge VanPelt said, “I want to thank all the people who made my career possible and all the many thousands of people that have voted for me over the years. I look forward to the next chapter of my career.”

VanPelt says he plans to run for the Board of Governors for the state bar of Georgia.