Politics
Politics

Georgia tosses challenge to candidacy of state Senate hopeful

Georgia’s state Capitol
Georgia’s state Capitol
By
Nov 30, 2017

Linda Pritchett, a Democratic candidate in next week’s runoff election, is eligible to appear on the ballot Tuesday.

The Secretary of State’s Office on Wednesday evening responded to a request from a Senate District 39 voter who asked Secretary of State Brian Kemp to challenge Pritchett’s qualifications, alleging she had lied on her declaration of candidacy.

In a letter to Erin Glynn, the Fulton County attorney who made the request, the general counsel for the Secretary of State’s Office, Ryan Germany, said Pritchett pleaded guilty in 2006 to a misdemeanor offense of larceny in Fairfax County General Court in Virginia.

Glynn in her letter to the Secretary of State’s Office pointed to an internet background check service that alleged Pritchett had pleaded guilty to felony larceny charges. Pritchett told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution earlier this week that she has never pleaded guilty to a felony.

Virginia does not keep case files longer than 10 years, so Germany was unable to view the court documents.

“The clerk confirmed to us that the General District Court only handles misdemeanor criminal cases,” Germany wrote in the letter sent Wednesday evening.

Candidates must disclose whether they have been convicted and sentenced for felony offenses.

About the Author

Maya T. Prabhu covers the Georgia Senate and statewide issues as a government reporter for The AJC. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in northern Virginia, Maya attended Spelman College and then the University of Maryland for a master's degree. She writes about social issues, the criminal justice system and legislative politics.

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