The Rome News Tribune reported that yesterday a federal judge declined to grant a petition by the Catoosa County Republican Party to restrict candidates they don’t feel represent the party’s values from the ballot.

U.S. District Court Judge William Ray heard the Catoosa County GOP arguments on April 17 and this week entered an order declining to stop the elections process.

“The (Catoosa GOP) asks the court to strike the candidates’ names, to order that no ballots cast for the candidates be counted, and to order that the requested questions be included on the ballot,” the judge wrote in the order. “After review, the court denies the (temporary injunction and restraining order) because the requested relief would not be in the public’s best interest.”

The Catoosa County GOP was asking the Federal Judge to overrule Lookout Mountain Superior Court Judge Don Thompson’s ruling that prevented them from removing incumbent Republican Catoosa County Commissioners from the May Primary ballot.

Thompson ordered the candidates be allowed to qualify to run on the Republican primary ballot. The county Board of Elections then placed the four candidates back on the ballot as Republicans.