Rockdale Board of Elections votes 3-0 to disqualify Kathy Harvey as write-in candidate for probate judge

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—In a unanimous decision, the Rockdale County Board of Elections voted on Wednesday, Sept. 26, during a special meeting to disqualify Kathy Harvey as a write-in candidate for probate judge in the Nov. 5, 2024 General Election.

The 3-member board, chaired by Al Saddler, stated that Harvey neither meets the statutory qualifications to hold the office of probate judge nor did she meet the Sept. 3 deadline in publishing her Notice of Intent to run as a write-n candidate in the Rockdale Citizen newspaper, the county’s legal organ. Supervisor of Elections Cynthia Willingham said at the board meeting that Harvey’s notice was published on Sept. 8.

Harvey did not attend the 5 p.m. meeting. When Willingham asked if Harvey or any representative for Harvey was online virtually, no one responded.

Following the board’s decision to disqualify Harvey, Willingham said her office will ask the State Board of Elections to conduct and investigation into Harvey’s bid to qualify for the set.

Harvey has unsuccessfully run for probate judge twice—in 2016 as a write-in candidate, and in 2020, after paying her qualifying fee to enter the race. She also ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Conyers in 2009.

In order to qualify for the office of probate judge, candidates must have had a State of Georgia law license for 7 years prior to the election. Kevin D. Holder, executive director Council of Probate Judges of Georgia, provided a letter to the Rockdale Board of Elections stating that Harvey does not hold a law license and is not a member of the Georgia Bar.  Holder addressed the board virtually on Wednesday confirming that information.

In Rockdale County, the probate court became an Article 6 probate court on July 1, 2022, in accordance with O.C.G.A § 1-3-1(d)(2)(D), making it mandatory that any candidate who seeks the office of probate judge in Rockdale must have a law license. The Georgia law applies to counties with a population over 90,000. When the county’s population was smaller, a law license was not required for the office.

Before the vote, the board called on Harvey to speak, but again, there was no response fom her or anyone on her behalf virtually.

Probate Judge Gary Washington, who attended the meeting, came before the board to weigh in and share his perspective on the matter. Washington became the Democratic nominee in May 2024 after running unopposed. There were no Republican challengers.

Watch the video to hear Washington’s summary and the board’s decision: