Politics
Politics

Douglas County chairman loses seat after racially charged comments

Tom Worthan, third from left (red tie), consults with other county commission chairs from around metro Atlanta in 2011. Worthan is a three-term chairman. (AJC file / Bob Andres)
Tom Worthan, third from left (red tie), consults with other county commission chairs from around metro Atlanta in 2011. Worthan is a three-term chairman. (AJC file / Bob Andres)
By Meris Lutz
Nov 9, 2016

A Douglas County Republican commission chair caught on tape making disparaging comments about black candidates lost his bid for reelection Tuesday to his Democratic challenger—a black woman.

Romona Jackson-Jones beat Tom Worthan with a healthy majority.

Worthan, who has been elected to the county commissioner five times and commission chairman three, was forced to apologize in September after he was secretly recorded at a public county festival.

In that tape, Worthan could be heard saying that governments run by blacks “bankrupt you,” and that if African-American sheriff candidate Tim Pounds were elected, “he would put a bunch of blacks in leadership positions” they may not be qualified for.

After the tape surfaced, Worthan went on Fox 5 Atlanta and apologized.

About the Author

Meris Lutz is a contributing writer covering climate, the environment and the economy. She is particularly interested in stories that explore the intersections between climate change and labor, markets, health, biodiversity, government transparency and public access to natural resources.

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