A Georgia judge Tuesday ruled in favor of four Catoosa County candidates who didn't qualify to appear on a GOP primary ballot under new county party rules.
The Catoosa County Republican Party is qualifying candidates for the May primary this week.
The four candidates rejected include three incumbents — Larry Black, chair of the County Commission; Vanita Hullander, the District 3 commissioner, representing a north central portion of the county; and Jeff Long, who represents District 1, the western portion of the county. Also affected was Steven Henry, a former commission chair seeking to return to office.
The ruling came from Superior Court Judge Don W. Thompson of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, which is comprised of Dade, Catoosa, Walker and Chattooga counties in northwest Georgia.
"The order essentially said, for right now, Mrs. Hullander, Mr. Long, Mr. Henry and Mr. Black will be permitted to qualify," Hullander's attorney, Alan Norton, said by phone. "There will be another hearing, and it has to be set within 30 days."
(READ MORE: Catoosa County voters are deciding whether to extend 1% sales tax for capital projects)
Norton said no one was there to represent the county party at the hearing.
The issue began with the county GOP claiming the right to approve county candidates to run as Republicans early last month.
Citing the right of a private organization to govern itself and state party rules, county party leadership required candidates to attend an interview with party officials to determine whether their beliefs and actions were in line with the state party's 20-point platform. Positions in the platform include:
— "We believe in the importance of both mothers and fathers and that the traditional family is the cornerstone of civil society and must be strengthened.
— "We believe that economic freedom is the cornerstone of individual liberty and the private sector and free-market principles are the best way to stimulate economic development rather than government subsidies or programs.
— "We believe in balanced budgets and the reduction of public debt."
Read the entire platform at bit.ly/GOP-GA.
Multiple candidates were approved by the party and allowed to qualify, but the four were not — and they petitioned the court for a remedy.
Representatives for the party did not respond to an emailed request for comment, but in a previous statement, party officials said candidates need to be vetted because they often don't adhere to the party's principles once elected. Opponents to the rule say it's unfair to have a small group of party officials choose candidates, and the voters should decide which candidate holds Republican values.
(READ MORE: Catoosa County GOP announce dates for candidate vetting)
Donna Evatt, a resident of the north central part of the county, is active in the Catoosa County GOP. She supports the party's decision to vet candidates and kick the four candidates off the Republican primary ballot.
The four candidates were excluded for multiple issues, she said in a Facebook message, accusing them of raising taxes, limiting speech at commission meetings and restricting property rights by regulating backyard chickens.
"But what it really, really boils down to, why they are so angry is, you cannot win Catoosa County and not have an 'R' by your name," she said.
Party officials had given at least one rejected candidate information on how to run as an independent, an option he did not wish to pursue.
Contact Andrew Wilkins at awilkins@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659.