Candidate convicted of Jan. 6 charge walks out of Georgia congressional debate

Chuck Hand, a Georgia congressional candidate who was convicted on Jan. 6-related charges, walked out of a televised debate Sunday, one week ahead of the Republican primary runoff in his district.

At the start of the debate, Hand appeared on stage next to his primary opponent, Wayne Johnson, who won a plurality of support (44 percent) in the four-person primary May 21 but fell short of the necessary 50-percent threshold to secure the nomination. Hand secured 32 percent of the vote.

The two Republicans will face off in a primary runoff June 18 to determine which will take on longtime incumbent Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. (D).

When Hand — a construction worker and vice president of his county’s GOP — was asked his first question, he responded by delivering an unrelated message to the audience before walking off the stage, as the cameras continued rolling.

“I’m Chuck Hand, 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 seen this man next to me come around when it’s election time, wanting to run for office,” Hand said, gesturing toward Johnson.

Hand touted his community roots and sought to draw a contrast to Johnson, who Hand noted does not live in the district.

“I’m not interested in debating the issues of the 2nd District with a man who doesn’t even reside in it,” Hand said, adding, “I’m more concerned about beating Sanford Bishop, representing you and passing the America First agenda and putting Donald Trump back in the White House.

“This is where I get back in my truck and head back to southwest Georgia, because I got to two races to win,” Hand added, before exiting the stage.

The debate’s moderator, anchor Donna Lowry, called after him, asking, “You’re not staying? You’re leaving, sir? OK.”

The debate, sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club, continued, and Johnson fielded questions from a panel of journalists.

“I would like to assume that Chuck Hand’s departure, the way in which he did it today, was his withdrawal from the race,” Johnson told reporters after the debate, The Associated Press reported. “But it certainly should cause people to pause and think about why he did it and what he was trying to get by doing it.”

Johnson, a former Trump administration official who worked in finance for three decades, has portrayed himself as the moderate candidate in the race. In the debate, Johnson noted Hand was convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and sentenced to 20 days in federal prison and six months of probation.

“I think the voters are going to make their own decision about that, but I think they need to make it on a basis where they’re fully informed,” Johnson said when asked about the charges.

“Mr. Hand has often said that these were minor misdemeanors, but minor misdemeanors don’t put you in jail. They don’t give you long-term probation. They certainly do not cause you to lose your Second Amendment rights, and they do not put you on terrorist watch lists,” Johnson continued. “So Mr. Hand’s depiction of his and his wife’s involvement on January the sixth is a far cry from what the official record shows.”

The Hill has reached out to Hand for comment.