A Georgia Republican candidate, previously convicted for his role in the January 6th Capitol riot, abruptly left a primary debate on Sunday.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, congressional candidate Chuck Hand stormed off the stage after accusing his opponent, Wayne Johnson, of orchestrating attacks on his wife.
However, it was another former candidate, Michael Nixon, who raised issues about Hand’s wife’s legal troubles. Nixon, who dropped out of the race last month and endorsed Johnson, mentioned that Hand’s wife, Mandy, served a year in jail and nine years on probation following a 2008 felony oxycodone conviction.
Hand himself served 20 days in prison and six months of probation for illegally rioting inside the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021.
During the debate, Hand claimed he had “two races to win,” initially appearing to say “two wiv…” before cutting himself off and correcting to “two races.”
His sudden departure from the stage left many questioning his motives and campaign strategy.
“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, according to the Associated Press. “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.”
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