MACON, Ga. — Two candidates for Bibb County Sheriff — Marshall Hughes and Ron Rodgers — had their qualifications officially challenged by lawyers for the Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections, according to emails obtained by 13WMAZ.
The letters, written by election board attorney William Noland and dated Wednesday, claimed that both Hughes and Rodgers failed to get fingerprinted or do a background check, which is an additional legal requirement for sheriff candidates.
They say the Board of Elections made the decision to challenge their qualifications in a vote on March 15.
According to the statute, they must comply within three business days after the qualification period ends. That legislation applies to sheriff's races across Georgia.
"It is the Board's understanding that you did not complete this requirement by the deadline and are therefore not qualified to hold the office of Sheriff," the letter reads.
However, the Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections will hold a public hearing on March 27, 2024, at 3:30 p.m. where they will have the opportunity to state their case.
"Of course, the Board will not make this determination without affording you an opportunity to be heard," the letter said.
We reached out to both candidates to get their responses to the letters.
"Very frustrated," Hughes said. "The reason being is that I wasn't awarded the same experience other candidates were awarded."
Hughes says he asked Election Supervisor Tom Gillon if there were any other things he needed to do. He said Gillon told him no.
"I asked him specifically before I left, 'Is there was anything else I need or anything else or anything else I needed to turn in' and he said 'No, you're good; you've qualified,'" Hughes said. "That's not right."
He said that another candidate was informed by a separate employee of the board that he needed to get fingerprinted down at Bibb County probate court
When we called Rodgers, he did not pick up.
We also reached out to Gillon for his response and he did not immediately respond.