Georgia Republican convicted of Jan. 6 riot walks out of House primary debate against former Trump administration official

Georgia Republican Chuck Hand, a congressional candidate convicted of a misdemeanor in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, walked out of a televised House primary runoff debate Sunday.
Hand, a construction superintendent and vice chairman of the Taylor County Republican Party, is running against fellow Republican Wayne Johnson, a former U.S. Department of Education official during the Trump administration, in the 18 primary runoff election. June in Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District.
The winner of the Republican nomination will face Democratic incumbent Rep. Sanford Bishop in November.
The debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club and featured in the Georgia Public Broadcasting studio began Sunday when Johnson responded to a question from the panel about what economic policies he would support in Congress that would help southwest Georgia families struggling financially. Johnson argued that voters conscious of inflation and the cost of gasoline, food, insurance and housing were dissatisfied with President Biden and Bishop’s economy and were looking toward the “Trump-Johnson economy,” before a second panelist asked Hand a question.
The panelist asked Hand what he thought about House Republicans’ plan for a new farm bill and whether he would support a “controversial proposal to cut food aid for low-income Americans.” In response, Hand delivered a prepared statement.
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Georgia Republican Chuck Hand leaves a debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club with Republican Wayne Johnson on Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Atlanta. (J. Glenn/Pool via AP)
“I’m Chuck Hand, a lifelong resident of the 2nd District. I’ve worked side by side with the people of the 2nd District solving problems since 2018. I’ve only ever seen this man next to me come when it comes time for the election to run. for office,” Hand said. “I’ve been riding tires in southwest Georgia meeting voters and building relationships in our communities for years. I’m not interested in debating the issues of the 2nd District with a man who doesn’t even reside in it. Especially one who organizes attacks on my wife “.
“I’m more concerned about defeating Sanford Bishop, representing him, passing the America First agenda and returning Donald Trump to the White House,” Hand said. “This race is very simple. It’s money from the 8th district or heart of the 2nd district. The choice is yours. It’s the dollar versus the change. Now this is where I get back in my truck and head back to southwest Georgia because I have two races. win.”
Hand then walked away from the podium and off the stage.
“Won’t you stay?” host Donna Lowry asked. “Are you leaving, sir? Okay.”
“Wow, I don’t even know how to react,” Johnson said.
Hand is one of at least four people convicted of crimes related to Jan. 6 who are running for Congress this year, all of them Republicans. He was sentenced to 20 days in federal prison and six months of probation.
Hand declined to debate Johnson after Michael Nixon, who finished third in the four-way primary on May 21, held a news conference last month endorsing Johnson.
Nixon filed a trespassing charge in 2005 and a DUI charge in 2010 against Hand, both of which were dismissed.
At the press conference, Nixon also cited federal court documents to argue that Hand’s involvement in the January 6 riot was more serious than Hand had claimed. Nixon said Hand and his wife, Mandy Robinson-Hand, chairwoman of the Taylor County Republican Party, “bring with them to this race a significant criminal record and a display of financial irresponsibility.”

Georgia Republican Wayne Johnson stands alone on the Atlanta debate stage on Sunday, June 9, 2024, after Chuck Hand leaves. (J. Glenn/Pool via AP)
“The most surprising thing is a felony conviction and a multi-year sentence for illegally trafficking opioids to people living in central Georgia,” Nixon told reporters. “I don’t think anything can be said about the emotional pain and physical harm that this illegal and immoral opioid trafficking behavior has caused people, which everyone recognizes has a devastating impact within our communities and our families.”
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The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Robinson-Hand served one year in prison and spent nine years on probation following a felony conviction for oxycodone in 2008. Both she and her husband pleaded guilty to “parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building,” a misdemeanor. crime, related to the riot of January 6, 2021.
Speaking to reporters after Sunday, Johnson said Hand’s departure from the debate stage is further evidence that Hand is unfit to be the Republican nominee.
“I would like to assume that Chuck Hand leaving, the way he did today, was his withdrawal from the race,” Johnson said, according to The Associated Press. “But he certainly should make people stop and think about why he did it and what he was trying to accomplish by doing it.”

Georgia Republican Chuck Hand, left, speaks during a debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club with Republican Wayne Johnson on Sunday, June 9, 2024. (J. Glenn/Pool via AP)
After Hand left the debate, he answered questions from reporters for nearly 20 minutes, saying he believed Johnson had helped orchestrate Nixon’s attacks. Hand was particularly critical of Nixon’s mention of his wife’s previous conviction for illegally selling oxycodone.
“It’s perfectly fine to attack me as a candidate. I hope so. But to come out and publicly attack my wife is a completely different situation,” Hand said. “My wife had paid her debt to society long before I met her.” She also attacked Johnson for not living within the district boundaries, which is not a requirement for congressional candidates.
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Johnson told reporters that he lives just outside the district in Macon, saying he has invested in businesses in the district and would move to a home he owns in Plains, Jimmy Carter’s hometown, if elected.
Johnson won nearly 45% of the vote in the May 21 primary, while Hand won nearly 32%.
Since no one won a majority, voters will decide the candidate in a second round. Early in-person voting begins the Monday before the June 18 election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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