State Rep.-elect Ralph Long faces residency challenge
September 24, 2008 at 11:47 am by Thomas Wheatley in NewsAndre Walker at Georgia Politics Unfiltered reports that three former opponents of Ralph Long, the Democrat who won the state representative district that includes Atlanta, have filed a residency challenge against him with Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel. Long does not face a Republican challenger in the general election and is therefore the presumptive state Representative-elect.
Paul Lockhart, Tony McCann, and Keisha Waites –who came in 5th, 6th and 2nd in the July 15th Democratic primary respectively [Source: Georgia Secretary of State, Georgia Election Results, July 22, 2008]– claim that Ralph Long “will not have met the Constitutional and Statutory residency requirements for the office of State Representative” and that by claiming to live in the 61st district, Long “intentionally deceived and defrauded the voters of the 61st District.”
The residency challenge also alleges that Long never claimed homestead exemption for his residence and that he did not reside in Georgia for one year prior to his candidacy. The challenge says that based on utility bills, Long was actually living in an apartment in Washington, D.C.
If the challenge to Ralph Long’s residency is successful, it’s expected that a special Democratic primary will be held to fill the vacancy on the Democratic ticket.
To view the residency challenge, click here.
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