State Rep. David Clark Announces Run for House Speaker If Re-elected
State Representative David Clark (R-Buford) made an announcement on Facebook this afternoon stating that he would challenge incumbent Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) should he win re-election on November 3rd. You can read the announcement in its entirety:
Representative Clark points to his resolution to remove Speaker Ralston from the chair during the 2019 legislative session when news hit that the Speaker was abiding by state law when he postponed cases due to legislative activities. Clark, however, is silent in his announcement on sponsoring a bill to actually change or repeal the law that allow attorney-legislators to postpone cases due to legislative activities.
It’s an interesting announcement to make almost a week before the General Election–especially in a county that is likely to break to the Democrats this year. Before Clark can set his sights on the Chair, he’ll have to make sure he can retain his seat in the General Assembly first.
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nsmith
Father. IT Geek. Former 14th District GOP Chairman (2015-2017). Former Walker GOP Chairman (2009-2013). Resident of Chamblee. American. Georgian. Conservative.
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I agree Clark’s timing is ‘interesting’. Maybe he’s trying to gain some last minute support, or maybe he’s gone too long without his usual shot at Ralston. I don’t think the speaker cares either way.
You link to an old thread. Our concern then and now isn’t about ‘abiding by state law’ but how Ralston used the law as a cudgel in his law practice. btw, 16 decent responses to that 18 months old thread; most of those posters are gone without replacement. Not even Hassinger is around to tell us how to think about the election.
If it’s truly a slap in the face of justice, then Representative Clark should have dropped a bill to change the law that allows legislators to do that along with his resolution. I am not aware of such a bill authored or submitted by Rep. Clark or those who signed onto the resolution calling for Speaker Ralston’s removal.
Ralston felt enough heat that they changed the bill already, which really misses the point that no one was accusing him of breaking the law but instead of acting unethically.
Why worry about the latest stunt of a guy who might not be in the lege much longer and can’t hurt Ralston anyway? I like many things about the speaker too, at least compared to Kemp, but he can’t practice law any way he wants without criticism.
There were multiple efforts to change the law.
Here was one thought process, make the Speaker a full time position without outside employment. http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20192020/HB/675
And there was a bill dropped that did get signed into law that tamps down on the process that was abused for years before it was noticed. It was carried by Andy Welch. So we changed the law because of the abuses committed by exactly one person.
This is just for information purposes only. I am leaving the General Assembly so I do not get to vote for Speaker.
On the next redistricting, Clark will probably be defending a democratic area in 2022. Ralson will either wipe out Clark’s advantage or put up a candidate to take away voters from Clark.
The we’ll have a Democratic house seat.
But… he wants to be speaker of the house he never shows up to?
Dude re-enlisted in the army mid session and didn’t tell anyone. Which means he missed a ton of days and votes without so much as telling his constituents why.
Also, He’s a bit of a hypocrite, just like his older brother, for growing his MLM business off of the increased influence of his position. So… yeah. Speaker of the house = I need a full time job that isn’t the army and expands my MLM biz.