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Tommy Hunter recall, Gwinnett County Commission, Georgia (2017)
| Gwinnett County Commission recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2017 Recalls in Georgia Georgia recall laws County commission recalls Recall reports |
Calls to recall Tommy Hunter (R) from his position on the Gwinnett County Commission in Georgia began in January 2017. After Hunter called U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D) "a racist pig" in a Facebook post, residents called for his resignation and said they would seek a recall if he did not resign.[1]
Hunter said he would not step down from his position, but recall proponents were barred from officially seeking a recall until July 2017. According to state law, recall petitions cannot be filed during the first 180 days or the last 180 days of an official's term. This is the case whether the official is first taking office, or whether he or she has been re-elected to another term. Hunter began his second term as the council's District 3 commissioner on January 1, 2017.[2]
In July, Gwinnett County Democratic Party Chairman Gabe Okoye said they were unsure if a recall would be sought. "The decision is not quite final yet, but it does not look like we will be pursuing a recall of Mr. Hunter," he said. Proponents weren't sure if the grounds for recall were sufficient according to state law. The recall was ultimately not pursued.[3]
Recall supporters
Residents attended two county commission meetings in January calling on Hunter to resign. Veronica Jones said, "His behavior is inappropriate, disappointing and is not demonstrative of community leadership." She continued, "In fact, it demonstrates poor judgment and a lack of self-control necessary to represent all of his diverse constituents, especially those that do not agree with his ideals." State representative Dewey McClain (D) wrote in an email to constituents, "I and other Democrats are calling on Mr. Hunter to resign as this kind of behavior is not fitting for a County Commissioner."[4] The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations spoke out against Hunter, saying that he should either apologize to Lewis or resign. Jasper Watkins, who ran against Hunter in 2016 and was narrowly defeated, said Hunter had counteracted efforts to unify the diverse residents of the county. "I think there needs to be accountability on this right away and I think we need to move," he said.[4]
NAACP meeting
The Gwinnett NAACP also denounced Hunter's comments in a statement but did not call for his resignation. Hunter attended a meeting of the local NAACP on February 14, 2017. The NAACP said the purpose of the meeting was "to promote community healing by allowing the constituency to share with Commissioner Hunter the needs of the community he represents and to hear Hunter’s plans of inclusiveness in the future."[2] Hunter walked out the meeting early, however, after attendees spoke out against his presence, saying that NAACP leadership had not consulted members about the meeting. Hunter was asked a few pre-submitted questions, but left before any questions were asked about his Facebook posts. Some at the meeting were upset with Gwinnett NAACP President Marlyn Tillman, and called on her to resign. One resident disapproved of Hunter's comment about John Lewis, but felt that the meeting attendees were disrespectful to Hunter.[5]
Recall opponents
Hunter's reaction
Hunter explained that he became angry when Lewis said Trump was an illegitimate president. "I voted for [Trump]. I don’t think my vote’s illegitimate, and I let my emotions get ahead of me and typed something up. Looking back on it, it was probably not the best decision," he said.[4] He apologized for his post at the county commission meeting on January 17, 2017. "I understand emotions are high and many are upset about those posts. I apologize for the choice of words I made about Congressman John Lewis," he said.[1]
Background
Lewis and Trump criticisms
On January 13, 2017, Rep. John Lewis (D) said on NBC’s "Meet the Press" that he didn't see Donald Trump (R) as a legitimate president and was not planning on attending the inauguration. This prompted Trump to tweet, "Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to......mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk — no action or results. Sad!"[6] Amidst this exchange, Hunter posted the Facebook status that sparked the recall effort.
2016 county commission election
Hunter, a Republican, was re-elected to the county commission in November 2016. In a tight race, he defeated Democratic candidate Jasper Watkins III by 2,099 votes.[7]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Georgia
In July 2017, after the first 180 days of Hunter's term, recall proponents would have needed to file a application for recall petitions, including a statement explaining the grounds for recall. In Georgia, a recall petition cannot be filed against an official during the first 180 days or the last 180 days of that term in office. According to state law, an official can be recalled for an act of malfeasance or misconduct while in office; violation of the oath of office; failure to perform duties prescribed by law; or willfully misusing, converting, or misappropriating, without authority, public property or public funds entrusted to or associated with the elective office to which the official has been elected or appointed.[2]
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 WSB Radio, "Gwinnett commissioner apologizes for "racist pig" comment," January 17, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gwinnett Daily Post, "State law says Tommy Hunter recall bid could not begin until summer," January 28, 2017
- ↑ Gwinnett Daily News, "Hunter’s opponents unsure if recall will be sought," July 1, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Gwinnett Daily Post, "Gwinnett residents demand Tommy Hunter’s resignation after ‘racist pig’ comment about John Lewis," January 17, 2017
- ↑ Gwinnett Daily Post, "Hunter walks out of NAACP meeting as tensions flare," February 14, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Trump rips John Lewis as Democrats boycott inauguration," January 14, 2017
- ↑ Gwinnett County, Georgia, "2016 General Election Results," November 15, 2016
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