Catoosa GOP seeks to reopen qualifying in District 3 race

Tom Weldon
Tom Weldon
photo Dewayne Hill

RINGGOLD - The race for the District 3 seat in the Georgia House of Representatives may get more competitive.

Delegates to the Catoosa County Republican Party Convention voted Saturday to ask state Rep. Tom Weldon to formally withdraw from the race, assuming that is still his plan. If Weldon does so, the Catoosa GOP will also ask Georgia's Republican to reopen qualifying for Weldon's seat in the May 24 primary election.

Weldon, R-Ringgold, submitted paperwork to run for re-election March 7. Dewayne Hill, a former Catoosa County commission, qualified to challenge him on March 11 - the last day to register to run.

On Thursday, Weldon told the Times Free Press he is going to bow out, leaving Hill with no competition. He said he needed to spend more time at his law practice and with his family, and he expected to formally withdraw within the next couple of weeks.

Weldon added that he made the decision two or three days after he qualified.

Some Catoosa Republicans don't like the idea of Hill running unopposed. Local party chairwoman Denise Burns said Saturday the field would be more crowded if people knew Weldon, an eight-year incumbent, was not going to run.

"Tom Weldon had a great deal of respect," she said. "People generally viewed him as a valuable and competent representative. Based on that reputation, to challenge an incumbent is a very daunting task. Lots of people would have considered running for this seat [if they knew it was open]."

The specific tally of the 34 delegates' votes Saturday is unclear, but an overwhelming majority verbally declared "aye" during the meeting. The county leadership will ask the state's Republican leadership to send a certified letter to Weldon, asking him to formally withdraw at the Georgia Secretary of State's Office within three days - if Weldon still plans to exit.

Assuming his decision holds, the county GOP will the state party to re-open the qualifying period for Weldon's seat. That's allowable if a candidate dies or the incumbent withdraws.

Local Republican Jeremy Jones drafted the resolution to give more candidates an opportunity to run. The Catoosa County Republican Party's resolutions committee approved Jones' draft.

Before the vote Saturday, some delegates wondered why Weldon would qualify, then decide days later not to run, but too late for other candidates to get in the race.

On Thursday, Weldon told the Times Free Press he told Hill he was going to withdraw when Hill came to Atlanta to qualify. Hill, though, said he had no idea of Weldon's intentions until Thursday.

"He and this man man made a back-door deal," said Carrie Powell, the Fort Oglethorpe precinct chair. "That's not a fair election."

Added Teresa Tatum, second vice chairwoman: "It appears that [Weldon] played a part in choosing his successor rather than letting the people vote."

But Denise Clopton, a field representative for U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, dismissed those theories.

"There's no back-room deals. No one knows what's going on in [Weldon's] personal life."

Weldon and Hill did not return calls seeking comment for this story Saturday.

Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at tjett@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6476.

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