Walker County Sheriff Steve WilsonAlmost every elected official in Northwest Georgia has endorsed Judge Ralph Van Pelt Jr. in his re-election campaign.
Van Pelt, a 22-year veteran on the bench, held a political fundraiser in Ringgold on Tuesday. The event was hosted by a committee that included two state senators, four state representatives, three sheriffs, 10 county commissioners and five mayors.
Since his appointment to the bench in 1996, Van Pelt has never faced an opponent. But after a letter 1 1/2 years ago from Summerville lawyer Bobby Lee Cook promising a “blood sport,” the judge began ginning up support, months before Melissa Hise announced she would challenge him.
In particular, he asked for the endorsement of state Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga. Mullis told the Times Free Press that Van Pelt is conservative, fair and doesn’t waste money.
“It is crucial that citizens have someone with experience, competence, and [who] does not legislate from the bench,” he said in a statement. “Judge Van Pelt is precisely that someone.”