A feud between two local Democratic candidates has spread into a rift between members of the party’s executive committee.
The Lowndes County Democratic Executive Committee voted on Monday to certify Marty Turner as a candidate for District 5 supervisor, reversing its March 17 decision not to certify Turner due to residency questions.
Just how many voting members of the committee attended Monday’s meeting to certify Turner remains a mystery, as DEC Chairperson Cindy Lawrence and secretary Leon Hines denied to release that information to The Dispatch on Tuesday. At least two members, though — Whirllie Byrd and Kegdra Gray — were not present. Both claim they were not notified of the meeting.
Byrd and Gray were also the only two of the 12 voting members present on March 17 who supported putting Turner on the August primary ballot.
Gray told The Dispatch she did not know of the DEC’s decision to put Turner back on the ballot until she read about it in Tuesday’s edition of The Dispatch.
“I knew nothing about this meeting. Nothing,” Gray said. “I know it’s a bunch of foolishness … it ticks me off a lot that I read about this meeting in the newspaper the day after it happened when I’m supposed to be part of the process. I should’ve been there like everyone else.”
Committee chairperson: ‘We had a quorum’
Incumbent District 5 supervisor Leroy Brooks filed a challenge with the DEC claiming Turner, who serves as a Columbus councilman, did not live at his legal residence in District 5 but instead lived with his girlfriend, who is also his campaign manager, in District 4.
Byrd said the DEC voted by a margin of 8-2, with two abstentions, to exclude Turner from the ballot. Turner appealed the decision to Lowndes County Circuit Court.
Brooks withdrew his complaint on Monday, which Lawrence said prompted DEC members to meet again and certify Turner.
Brooks nor Lawrence elaborated on the reasons for the about-face. But Byrd said she was “shocked” by the whole ordeal, including the DEC not notifying her of Monday’s meeting.
“It was unexpected (on March 17) to be called into a meeting where we excluded Mr. Turner from the ballot,” Byrd said. “I was shocked then, and I am shocked now that (the DEC) put him back on the ballot without having a proper meeting.”
Hines said the meeting began at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the courthouse boardroom and that he typically notifies DEC members by phone, email or text message of upcoming meetings. He did not comment on whether he notified Byrd or Gray of Monday’s meeting, though, instead deferring to Lawrence.
Lawrence said DEC bylaws only required seven members attend to have a quorum, and she said Monday’s meeting met that threshold.
“All I can say is we had a quorum and that’s what we did,” she said.
Committee member: ‘It never should have gotten this far’
Though the DEC can have up to 36 voting members, Lawrence said the committee actually fielded significantly fewer members. She said the DEC had more than the 12 members who attended on March 17, but she did not specify exactly how many currently serve on the committee.
During the March 17 DEC meeting, a hearing where Turner was asked to “prove his residency,” he produced photocopies of utility bill receipts, a voter registration card and other documents in his name that connected him to his legal address of 1504 23rd St. N. in Columbus. He also brought forward three witnesses — his mother, his girlfriend and another 23rd Street North resident — to testify that he lives in District 5.
Brooks, when arguing that Turner lived outside the district, claimed that Turner routinely failed to pay his utility bills and the property taxes on his legal residence.
Turner did not deny his being remiss in his financial obligations, but Gray said that had nothing to do with where Turner lives.
“All we ever saw was a photo of his (Turner’s) house and a photo of his girlfriend’s house,” Gray said. “That was the evidence. And Mr. Brooks wanted to talk about (Turner’s) credibility. We were not there to discuss his credibility. We were there to discuss residency.”
Byrd agreed with Gray, saying the evidence as she saw it “leaned more toward” Turner living where he claimed.
Both Byrd and Gray are glad to see Turner on the ballot, and if they had been included in Monday’s meeting, they would have again voted to certify Turner.
“I’m very happy about the result,” Gray said. “It just never should have gotten this far.”
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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