A billboard proclaiming Hamilton County school board candidate Tom Decosimo a Republican has sparked several complaints from citizens because the campaign is supposed to be nonpartisan, and the matter is under review by the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office.
“Elect Tom Decosimo, A Republican for School Board, District 2,” states the digital billboard on Signal Mountain Road.
The party affiliation was removed from the billboard earlier this week as complaints mounted on social media, but Decosimo has had it restored and says he’s confident he’s in the right.
“I am not running my campaign as a Republican, I am just identifying myself as one,” Decosimo told the Times Free Press.
Tennessee State Education Code states, “All elections for school board members shall be conducted on a nonpartisan basis, and no person seeking a position on a board shall campaign as the nominee or representative of any political party.”