The Cherokee Democrats are THRILLED to share our endorsement for the write-in campaign of TRACEY VERHOEVEN as the ONLY Democrat for Georgia’s 11th Congressional District.
We are ecstatic to share that our ‘Petition to Oppose’ has finally passed the final stage of the Democratic Party of Georgia (DPG), and the Cherokee Democrats are now unmuzzled and ready to torpedo the campaign of ethical misfit – Katy Stamper.
Read a letter below from Chair Nate Rich with all the details.
Letter From the Chair
Ecstatic to share that our ‘Petition to Oppose’ has finally passed the final stage of the Democratic Party of Georgia (DPG), and the Cherokee Democrats are now unmuzzled and ready to torpedo the campaign of ethical misfit – Katy Stamper.
Katy Stamper AKA ‘Karen Sacandy’ is an unapologetic racist, virulent homophobe and a plant of the local Republican Party. While I don’t believe her candidacy was coordinated by the GOP, she has been a member of the Cherokee Republicans for years. Hear all about her in former Republican Representative Scot Turner’s own words in an article he penned HERE. And if you don’t believe Scot’s words, believe Katy’s own words – with her personal Twitter, which has tellingly been made private (linked HERE).
And at the most basic level, Cherokee County deserves genuine, qualified candidates. Someone this unstable has no business representing us in Congress.
The ‘Petition to Oppose’ was unanimously passed by four counties in Georgia’s 11th Congressional District: Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, and Pickens. It soared through the Executive Committee of the Democratic Party of Georgia. And finally, it overwhelmingly passed the State Committee. While Katy Stamper will remain on the ballot – she is fully rejected by the entire Democratic Party of Georgia. This is the first time this mechanism has ever passed.
She’s a kook. A local attorney who peddles $200 wills, like some local Legal Zoom. She’s been a member of the Cherokee County Republican Party for years. FEC filings show she frequently contributed to Trump and DeSantis Super PACS. She was sanctioned by the State Bar for withholding unearned funds from clients. She was chased out of Rome, Georgia after an embarrassing failed lawsuit. She fully changed her legal name in 2019 for unknown reasons. She attended the Chamber of Commerce & Farm Bureau candidate forum, where she was ill-prepared and incoherent. Then she attended a local fundraiser where she had an episode, collapsing to her knees in a fit of rage. Unserious and unwell.
Long story short, she was the surprise winner of the Democratic primary because she littered the county in $15,000 worth of political signs. To be clear, we vetted her in advance but the constitution of Georgia prevents political parties from keeping candidates off their ticket. And party bylaws prevent us from getting involved in the primary, to avoid party leaders from playing favorites. Now if we had two Democrats running, I would understand that rule. But that wasn’t at all the situation. We had a Republican running in a Democratic primary. And after her surprise win, the bylaws of the Democratic Party of Georgia (DPG) prevent us from disavowing a Democratic nominee. So over the past couple of months we’ve been fighting behind the scenes, and on Sunday we won.
And so the Cherokee Democrats are THRILLED to share our endorsement for the write-in campaign of TRACEY VERHOEVEN as the ONLY Democrat for Georgia’s 11th Congressional District. And she is already qualified by the Secretary of State. Remember: spelling matters when writing in a candidate, so print off a sample ballot before heading in to vote!
We know a write-in candidate is unlikely, but this is a principled fight worth having. If a bad actor wants to interfere in our primary, there will be social, economic, and political consequences for that bad actor. So let’s make sure Katy Stamper is a failed candidate, rejected by Democrats and Republicans. Cherokee deserves better.
In closing, it’s all-hands-on-deck. We need your time and talent. If you’re interested in getting involved, volunteering, or donating, please visit us at www.CherokeeDemocrats.com or join us at any of the events below to meet our incredible slate of local Democrats working to earn your vote. We must defend the White House, the Supreme Court, and democracy more broadly. We absolutely must vote!
Yours in the fight,
Nate Rich
