Chattooga County’s State Court Solicitor says that the local Republican Party can’t block candidates from the ballot who wish to run as Republicans in the GOP Primary in 2024. 

The Chattooga County Republican Party says that they have established a five-person committee that will qualify candidates for the upcoming election, but some have questioned what criteria the committee will use to determine if a person can appear on the ballot.  The local Republican Party Chair Jennifer Tudor has said that if a person is a “conservative Republican” they won’t have any problem getting on the ballot.  But some question why five people get determine if a candidate is “conservative” enough to run.

The Chattanooga Times-Free Press spoke with State Court Solicitor Sanford Buddy Hill over the weekend.  According to the newspaper, Hill said that qualifying with the local party isn’t required by law, and as an attorney, he’s prepared to take the county’s Republican Party to court if necessary.  Hill was one of the first Republicans elected to office in Chattooga County at a time when almost all local office holders were Democrats.

The key word in the relevant statute, Georgia Code 21-2-6, is “or,” he said. The statute says for candidates to qualify for an elected office, they must be certified by the executive committee of a county political party or file a notice of candidacy.

Hill said he doesn’t think the rule is legal or good for the party. “All that does is divide people,” he said of the rule. “If the Republican Party wants to be a big party, a party of inclusion, they should welcome them to the ticket and let the voters choose.”

See more in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press Here (subscription required).