Man charged on Jan. 6 advances to congressional runoff in southwest Georgia

Chuck Hand, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, has advanced to the runoff for the Republican nomination in Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District.

Hand will face A. Wayne Johnson, who worked in President Donald Trump’s administration, in the June 18 runoff. The winner will go up against U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, in November in a southwest Georgia seat that still tilts Democratic.

When asked about his Jan. 6 guilty plea and prison sentence during a debate, Hand said he was not shying away from what happened.

“My campaign isn’t based on Jan. 6. The only reason Jan. 6 ever comes up in the campaign is so that you three cannot throw it in my face,” he said.

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