“Crisis of integrity and confidence” Belle Isle explains why he’s running for Secretary of State

News, Politics
David Belle Isle

ELLIJAY, Ga – David Belle Isle (R) took a minute to address why he’s running for Secretary of State even though the incumbent Republican intends to run for reelection.

Former Alpharetta Mayor and runner-up on the 2018 primary runoff for Secretary of State, Belle Isle supported candidate and eventual Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger until his actions in 2020. He called what happened in 2020 an “absolute disaster” citing the perceived dissolution of election integrity and voter confidence.

“As much as we want to find the right leaders,” Belle Isle remarked, “We can’t get there if we don’t have the ballot box right.”

Belle Isle wants to clean up the mess, mail-in ballots, and restore voter confidence.

Raffensperger has expressed his intentions to run again and that the facts state former President Donald Trump didn’t carry Georgia and when the truth is revealed people will understand. Belle Isle observed if Raffensperger can’t see the problem, then that’s “the reason he needs to go.”

The Secretary of State did hire a company, ProVMD to audit Dominion machines and that company primarily services Dominion. Raffensperger’s chief operating officer also left the office for a year to take a role at Dominion in 2020. Belle Isle believes these actions aided in the public distrust of the Dominion machines and wants to see if the state can get out of that contract.

David Belle Isle headshot

David Belle Isle

He also stressed that voter confidence has to be restored across the state. However, it will be up to the candidates to help people believe in the system since Raffensperger will be the Secretary of State overseeing the 2022 elections.

The former mayor isn’t a fan of policies Raffensperger implemented including signing the consent settlement agreement with Fair Fight. He promised to tear up the agreement if elected, adding that rejected ballots dropped to 0.3 percent in 2020. In the past, Georgia had a rejection rate of 3 percent.

As for former President Donald Trump endorsing Jody Hice (R – GA 10) candidacy for Secretary of State, Belle Isle commented that he’s always supported the President, but Trump’s never met him. He also believes he has the experience to run a multi-disciplined office like Secretary of State and that Trump would be impressed if he knew how Belle Isle ran Alpharetta and developed it.

“If presidential endorsements were always right, he’d be endorsing Raffensperger for the second time,” Belle Isle commented about the significance of endorsements.

Also, the decision is ultimately up to the voters of Georgia who will get to know the candidates.

Belle Isle has events scheduled across Georgia and is encouraged by the people reaching out to volunteer their time for his campaign.

Belle Isle takes aim at Raffensperger’s policies

Featured Stories, News
Belle Isle

ALPHARETTA, Ga – Former Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle hosted his Secretary of State campaign kick-off on Monday, March 22 at Alpharetta City Park and called out Raffensperger’s elections procedures.

Trump supporter State Senator Brandon Beach (R – Alpharetta) introduced the candidate. Beach spoke about until after the November election his cell phone seldomly rang and everyone who called asked about election reform.

“The reason I’m supporting David is I know he’s a man of character, integrity, and he’s smart and that matters. He would not have entered into an agreement that really made two sets of rules for voting in person and absentee ballots,” Beach said.

He wants Georgia to take the path of Florida concerning reform and have the 2022 results in by the 11 p.m. news. Belle Isle promised Beach that he would make that happen.

Belle Isle spoke about how it’s tough to be a conservative, and many feel attacked either by the media, corporate America, or big tech.

“Most people raise their families and most people live applying conservative values and conservative principles whether they know it or not,” the candidate remarked. “The entire purpose of the Republican Party is to bring human flourishing within the reach of every American, within the reach of every Georgian. We do this by opening the widest door possible.”

He directly leveled the blame for the November elections at Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R). Speaking to election integrity, he stated that every vote must be validated.

“The disaster that was the 2020 election was not something that happened to Brad Raffensperger. It was something that happened through Brad Raffensperger,” Belle Isle commented. He then listed the actions Raffensperger took leading up to the 2020 primary and general elections.

The list included signing the compromise settlement agreement with Fair Fight Georgia and Stacy Abrams, the mass mailing absentee ballot applications before the primary, drop boxes, and allowing signature verification only for absentee ballots.

Belle Isle added that he’s not “here to say one way or another” if the election was stolen, but what happened in Georgia was worse than that – “an election that can neither be proved fraudulent or fair.” The Secretary of State’s Office did conduct three recounts that all resulted in the same outcome.

Later, the former mayor stated he was in favor of removing no excuse absentee ballots, but understands it’s an uphill battle.

According to Belle Isle, the settlement agreement “made it difficult for counties to efficiently reject an invalid mail-in ballot” and it took three people to reject a mail-in ballot. The rejection rate dropped from three percent to practically zero percent.

Citing the Senate runoff, he commented how thousands stayed home because they lost confidence in the system. Typically, turnout does drop if a Presidential election isn’t on the ballot.

Belle Isle believes he’s the best man for the job with a focus on restoring voter integrity as the backbone of his campaign.

“The Secretary of State needs to be hands-on. The Secretary of State needs to be in that office on a daily basis. I mean looking at the election process from top to bottom. A lot of what’s been happening here is essentially someone governing from afar, leading from afar, and handing it off to his lieutenants,” Belle Isle stated about Raffensperger’s handling of the Secretary of State’s Office.

Congressman Jody Hice also entered the Secretary of State race on Monday.

Raffensperger wins nomination for Secretary of State

Election, Election 2018

Blue Ridge, Ga. – Brad Raffensperger has defeated David Belle Isle in the July Runoff Election.

Raffensperger and Belle Isle vied for the Republican nomination to seek the seat of Georgia Secretary of State. The Secretary of State seat is open with no incumbent as current Secretary of State Brian Kemp moves forward in the gubernatorial race.

With all 159 counties reporting, Raffensperger was able to receive 61.76 percent of the vote while Belle Isle fell short only receiving 38.24 percent.

Raffensperger will move forward to the November General Election where he will face Democratic nominee John Barrow.

 

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

Murray County and state election results 2018

Election 2018, News

CHATSWORTH, Ga. – *These election results are unofficial until being certified by the Georgia secretary of state’s office.

2018 Murray County Primary Election Results

Chief Magistrate Judge (non-partisan):

Connie Reed –                             100.00%             2,019 votes

 

Board of Education District 5:

Mitch Wilson (R) –                    100.00%              1,502 votes

 

Board of Education District 6:

Heath Jones (R) –                       67.46%               1,385 votes

Celeste Bargeron (R) –               32.54%                 668 votes

 

Board of Education District 7:

Kelli Reed (R) –                        100.00%               1,553 votes

 

Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST):

Yes:                                              67.08%               1,689 votes

No:                                               32.92%                  829 votes

 

Georgia House of Representatives District 5

John Meadows (R) –           100.00%                2,596 votes

Results by county:

Gordon:                                 100.00%               2,400 votes

Murray:                                  100.00%                   196 votes

Brian Rosser (D) –               100.00%                   504 votes

Results by county:

Gordon:                                100.00%                    485 votes

Murray:                                 100.00%                      19 votes

 

Georgia House of Representatives District 6

Jason Ridley (R) –             100.00%                 2,090 votes

Results by county:

Murray:                                100.00%                    726 votes

Whitfield:                             100.00%                1,364 votes

 

Georgia House of Representatives District 11

Rick Jasperse (R) –          100.00%                  4,865 votes

Results by county:

Gordon:                             100.00%                      513 votes

Murray:                             100.00%                       721 votes

Pickens:                            100.00%                    3,631 votes

Lee A. Shiver (D) –          100.00%                       673 votes

Results by county:

Gordon:                           100.00%                          77 votes

Murray:                            100.00%                       123 votes

Pickens:                            100.00%                      473 votes

 

2018 Georgia Primary Election Results 

CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR:

Casey Cagle (R) –                         39.01%                      236,479 votes

Eddie Hayes (R)  –

Hunter Hill (R) –                         18.34%                        111,199 votes

Brian Kemp (R) –                        25.55%                       154,894 votes

Clay Tippins (R) –                       12.22%                         74,047 votes

Marc Urbach (R) –

Michael Williams (R) –                4.87%                         29,542 votes

Stacey Abrams (D) –                   76.44%                      422,509 votes

Stacey Evans (D) –                      23.56%                       130,241 votes

 

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CANDIDATES:

Geoff Duncan (R) –                     26.65%                      145,849 votes

Rick Jeffares (R) –                      24.44%                       133,758 votes

David Shafer (R) –                      48.91%                       267,684 votes

Sarah Riggs Amico (D) –           55.28%                        277,675 votes

Triana Arnold James (D) –        44.72%                      224,638 votes

 

SECRETARY OF STATE CANDIDATES:

David Belle Isle (R) –                28.53%                        150,973 votes

Buzz Brockway (R) –                 15.35%                          81,251 votes

Josh McKoon (R) –                    21.14%                        111,881 votes

Brad Raffensperger (R) –         34.98%                     185,087 votes            

John Barrow (D) –                     51.52%                     263,958 votes

Dee Dawkins-Haigler (D) –      29.51%                      151,224 votes

R.J. Hadley (D) –                        18.97%                       97,194 votes

Smythe Duval (I) –

 

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER CANDIDATES:

Jim Beck (R) –                           59.69%                    313,184 votes

Jay Florence (R) –                    20.89%                    109,629 votes

Tracy Jordan (R) –                    19.42%                    101,876 votes

Janice Laws (D) –                     62.84%                    302,119 votes

Cindy Zeldin (D) –                    37.16%                     178,677 votes

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER CANDIDATES:

District 3 – 

Chuck Eaton (R) –                100.00%                   470,258 votes

Lindy Miller (D)  –                  65.46%                    311,286 votes              

John Noel (D)  –                      18.92%                      89,955 votes

Johnny White (D)  –               15.62%                       74,263 votes

District 5 – 

John Hitchins III (R)  –         46.96%                    247,460 votes

Tricia Pridemore (R)  –          53.04%                    279,510 votes

Dawn Randolph (D) –            78.59%                    365,189 votes

Doug Stoner (D) –                   21.41%                      99,509 votes

 

Author

Jason Beck

Born in Merrillville, Indiana, raised in Cleveland, Tennessee, and currently resides in Copperhill, Tennessee. Graduated from Bradley Central High School in 1996 and attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, eventually earning a B.A. and M.A. in English. Hobbies include hiking, camping and fly-fishing. Interests include baseball, hockey and cliff jumping.

Duncan wins tightest race in July Runoff

Election, Election 2018

Blue Ridge, Ga. – Geoff Duncan narrowly beats out David Shafer in the July Runoff Election.

In what was by far the closest race to take place during the runoff, Duncan beat out Shaffer by a mere 1672 votes. In some precincts across the state this race showed wins by a margin of only 2 votes.

Duncan and Shafer vied for the Republican nomination to seek the seat of Georgia Lt. Governor. The Lt. Governor seat is open with no incumbent as current Lt. Governor Casey Cagle chose to throw his name in the hat for the Republican nomination in the gubernatorial race.

With all 159 counties reporting, Duncan was able to receive 50.15 percent of the vote while Shafer fell short receiving 49.85 percent.

Duncan will move forward to the November General Election where he will face Democratic nominee Sarah Riggs Amico.

State Republicans will now move to a July Runoff

Election 2018, Politics
Georgia, May Primary Election 2018, General Election 2018, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Sarah Riggs Amico, Triana Arnold James, David Shafer, Geoff Duncan, Stacey Abrams, Stacey Evans, Brian Kemp, Casey Cagle, David Belle Isle, Brad Raffensperger, John Barrow, Dee Dawkins-Haigler, Rakeim Hadley, Democrat, Republican, General Primary Runoff, July 2018

Front-runner Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle will face Secretary of State Brian Kemp in General Primary Runoff.

BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – The Georgia Gubernatorial Race has heated up as Lt. Governor Casey Cagle will now face Secretary of State Brian Kemp in the July General Primary Runoff.

Cagle and Kemp emerged as front runners in the General Primary, with Cagle showing a slight edge over Kemp by receiving 39 percent of the votes (227,170 total votes). Kemp was not far behind having received 26 percent or 150,051 total votes.

The two candidates will move forward in a 9 week runoff and the winner of this race will move on to face Democrat Stacey Abrams in the Nov. General Election.

Abrams won, receiving 76 percent of the votes (373,829 total votes), over fellow democratic party candidate Stacey Evans.

While a Republican runoff was anticipated in the Georgia Gubernatorial race, other state elections saw similar fates.

Georgia Lieutenant Governor front-runner David Shafer fell shy of a clear win. Shafer pulled in a majority of the votes, 256,230 in total, but this was not enough to avoid a runoff. With Shafer only claiming 49%, he will now face Geoff Duncan in July.

Georgia, May Primary Election 2018, General Election 2018, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Sarah Riggs Amico, Triana Arnold James, David Shafer, Geoff Duncan, Stacey Abrams, Stacey Evans, Brian Kemp, Casey Cagle, David Belle Isle, Brad Raffensperger, John Barrow, Dee Dawkins-Haigler, Rakeim Hadley, Democrat, Republican, General Primary Runoff, July 2018

Shafer took a commanding number of votes, but was just shy of a clean win, and will now face Duncan in July.

Duncan came in a distant second to Shafer receiving 27 percent of the votes (140,741 total votes).

The winner of this runoff will face Democrat Sarah Riggs Amico in the Nov. General Election. Amico pulled in 56 percent of the votes (245,325 total votes) defeating opponent Triana James who received 44 percent.

Campaigns have not ended for Brad Raffensperger or David Belle Isle as they will also face off for in the General Primary Runoff for Georgia Secretary of State.

Raffensperger received 35 percent of the votes (178,502 total votes), moving him into top position. Belle Isle, however, was not far behind having received 29 percent or 145,915 total votes.

Democrat John Barrow will face the winner of this runoff in the Nov. General Election. Barrow was able to make a clean win with 52 percent over challengers Dee Dawkins-Haigler and Rakeim Hadley.

The General Primary Runoff will take place July 24, 2018.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

Jones takes Board of Education seat, sales tax passes

Election 2018, News

CHATSWORTH, Ga. – Heath Jones defeated Celeste Bargeron to win the Murray County Board of Education (BOE) District 6 seat and the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax passed in Tuesday’s primary election.

In the Republican primary Tuesday, incumbent Heath Jones took 1,385 votes and 67.46 percent to overcome Bargeron, who received 668 votes and 32.54 percent. No candidates Democratic candidates qualified to face Jones in the November general election; therefore, Jones will retain his seat on the board.

The BOE District 5 race saw Mitchell Wilson run uncontested in the Republican primary, receiving a total of 1,502 votes. Wilson is also unopposed in general election and will assume the District 5 seat on the board.

In BOE District 7, Republican incumbent Kelli Reed was also unopposed in the primary and will be unopposed in the general election. Reed took 1,553 total votes and will retain her seat on the board.

In the chief magistrate judge’s non-partisan race, Connie Reed was unopposed and garnered 2,019 total votes.

The county referendum to continue the 1 percent SPLOST for another six years was approved by voters. The referendum took in 1,689 yes votes (67.08 percent) and 829 no votes (32.92 percent). The new SPLOST will take effect Jan. 1, 2019.

In the state Senate District 54 race, Republican incumbent Chuck Payne edged out challenger J. Scott Tidwell with 5,012 total votes (52.87 percent) to Tidwell’s 4,467 (47.13 percent). Payne will move on to the November general election to face Democrat Michael S. Morgan, who was unopposed in the primary and received 1,565 total votes.

In the three state House of Representatives’ races, no candidate ran opposed in his respective party primary. In District 5, which encompasses portions of Murray and Gordon counties, Republican incumbent John Meadows received 2,596 district-wide votes while Brian Rosser took in 504 total votes in the Democratic primary. Meadows and Rosser will meet in November in the general election.

In state House District 6, which includes north Murray County and a portion of Whitfield County, Republican incumbent Jason Ridley ran unopposed in the primary and will run unopposed in the general election. Ridley received 2,090 total district votes.

The race for state House District 11, which includes portions of Murray, Gordon, and Pickens counties, Republican incumbent Rick Jasperse and Democrat Lee A. Shiver both ran unopposed in their parties’ respective primaries. Jasperse received a total of 4,865 votes across the district while Shiver took 673 total votes. Jasperse and Shiver will meet in the November general election.

In state-level races, runoff elections will be required to determine the Republican winners of the gubernatorial race, the race for lieutenant governor, and the race for secretary of state.

For governor, current Lt. Governor Casey Cagle will face current Secretary of State Brian Kemp in a runoff election July 24. Cagle took 39.01 percent of the statewide votes to Kemp’s 25.55 percent. The winner of this runoff will move on to face state Representative Stacey Abrams, who handily defeated fellow state Representative Stacey Evans in the Democratic primary. Abrams garnered 76.44 percent of the statewide Democratic votes to Evans’ 23.56 percent.

In the lieutenant governor’s election David Shafer will face Geoff Duncan in the July runoff for the Republican nomination. Shafer won 48.91 percent of the Republican votes statewide while Duncan received 26.65 percent. The winner of the runoff will face Democratic primary winner Sarah Riggs Amico in November.

The secretary of state’s race will also be decided in the July 24 runoff as Republicans Brad Raffensperger and David Belle Isle will meet for their’s party nod. Raffensperger took 34.98 percent of the Republican votes while Belle Isle took in 28.53 percent. The winner will face Democrat John Barrow in the fall general election.

In the county’s only federal election, the U.S. House of Representatives District 14 race featured Republican incumbent Tom Graves and Democrat Steven Lamar Foster both running unopposed in their parties’ respective primaries. Graves took a total of 38,235 Republican votes in the district while Foster received 10,611 votes in the Democratic primary. Graves and Foster will meet in the general election in November.

Author

Jason Beck

Born in Merrillville, Indiana, raised in Cleveland, Tennessee, and currently resides in Copperhill, Tennessee. Graduated from Bradley Central High School in 1996 and attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, eventually earning a B.A. and M.A. in English. Hobbies include hiking, camping and fly-fishing. Interests include baseball, hockey and cliff jumping.

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