I want to remind the voters to consider Catherine White for judge of Hamilton County Circuit Court and Joe Manuel for judge of Chancery Court in the Republican primary. Both of their opponents have been advertising that each has won the endorsement of the 800 member Chattanooga Bar Association when their members voted between the candidates who are seeking the judicial position, based on their personal knowledge of each attorney with respect to legal ability and temperament, etc.
First of all, these Chattanooga Bar Association poll results among the attorneys voting mean absolutely nothing. I have been active in the Republican Party for years and remember when in 2012 Judge David Norton was defeated by attorney Gary Starnes for the Sessions Court election in August of that year. There appeared in the chattanoogan.com on May 7, 2012, the news of the results of the Chattanooga Bar Association Poll among attorneys who voted by secret ballot which attorney would make the best General Session Court judge after Judge Moon died. It showed that newly appointed Judge Norton received 52.80 percent of the votes among the attorneys, two young attorneys, one with limited practice who were hardly known with one receiving 24.60 percent of the vote and the other receiving 8.30 per cent of the vote, and lastly attorney Gary Starnes, a veteran attorney of 24 years received only 19 votes or a meager seven percent of all the votes in the 800 member Chattanooga Bar Association.
This organization is out of touch with the community and is losing members every year. I say to the public, do we want an attorney who is indorsed by the Chattanooga Bar Association and attorneys who practice law in Hamilton County who belong to an organization which is losing members every year? Please vote for Joe Manuel and Catherine White in the Republican primary.
Anna Heckleberry