Local Democrats Respond As Elected Officials Abandon Party

So far this week, Chattooga County Magistrate Tracy Maddux and Clerk of Court Kim Windle James have announced they are leaving the Democratic Party.

Maddux and James decided to quit the party after Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader received criticism for sending deputies to help keep the peace at a protest in Lumpkin County. Maddux said he would seek re-election as a Republican. James, however, said she was undecided at this point.

Here is the Chattooga County Democratic Party’s response to the issue:

“This week, several of our local elected officials have announced that they will not seek re-election as Democrats. Most claim their actions are due to the perceived involvement of the Democratic Party with a controversy surrounding a Facebook  post by Sheriff Schrader.
“After a discussion at our September 16th meeting, we, the Chattooga County  Democratic Party, feel compelled to respond to these allegations.
“For example, one official’s announcement claims it was ‘a local Democratic Party  who started the post and hate filled comments.’ The announcement then berates the  local Democrats for ‘their silence on the events of this (sic) last few days.’
“Since the Chattooga County Democratic Party is the only local party, let us state the facts clearly: the Chattooga County Democratic Party is not the party that “started  the post.“ We did not share the post or comment on the post. The Chattooga County  Democratic Party has a Facebook page that can be checked for verification.
“We respect Sheriff Schrader and his handling of the situation. We appreciate the many years of service that all of our Democratic elected officials have provided to  the citizens of this county.
“The Democratic Party of Chattooga County is proud to be an inclusive party and works to promote the equality and welfare for all citizens of this community. We  believe our elected officials should be truthful and transparent in their positions.  For that reason, we are happy to correct any false claims directed at us by those who are elected to serve our county. “