On Feb. 15, the Republican Party held its forum for the Republican candidates running for County Commission Post 1 between Emory Wilkerson, Robert Horgan and Malcolm Hughes. The debates were very informative, not only to the group of citizens who came to listen, but interestingly so, to the candidates themselves.

Before any candidate arrived, I carefully reviewed each politician’s recent voting history and then made copies of those records to give out at the meeting. I was intrigued by what I found and I believe the voters of Fayette County should find some true value in those facts as well.

What the candidates learned was that their voting records are public records. Although the actual voter’s decision is unknown, the record will reflect if the voter voted in a Democratic or Republican primary, or whether they took the time to vote at all.

What the actual voting records told me about these three candidates was noteworthy.

1. Robert Horgan had NOT VOTED in more than 30 percent of the elections held since 1998.

When asked about this voting record, Mr. Horgan honestly said that he was “suprised” such records were kept. He knew that he was in a tough spot. He never explained why he failed to excercise his right to vote, perhaps because he had no excuse. I believe that he knew that it was disingenuous for him to ask others to vote for him after it was learned that he failed to even vote himself.

Is it not ironic that Mr. Horgan would expect that we should entrust him to vote on important county commissioner issues, when he himself has failed to exercise that right for himself? Will he only vote 70 percent of the time if elected county commissioner? We have men and women fighting in Iraq to help give democracy to the Iraqis. It’s a life and death decision just to go to the polls in Iraq, and yet, an actual candidate in Fayette County fails to vote in almost half of the elections?

2. Mr. Horgan also said that he would often vote for the candidate and not the party. This cliche is often cited by candidates who don’t want to be held accountable for their political beliefs. The records shows that Mr. Horgan had actually voted in prior Democratic primaries. He attributed his votes for Democrats to be evidence of the “influence that his Democratic parents had on him.” He never explained why or how he decided to now become a full-fledged Republican, only that we should vote for him because he was one of us, now. Mr. Horgan could have run as an independent, but he chose to be part of a party that he himself has failed to support in the past.

3. Malcolm Hughes voted in at least two Democratic primaries and has missed the vote in prior elections.

He explained that his vote for the Democratic presidential candidate in 2002 — i.e., John Kerry, John Edwards, Al Sharpton, et al — was because George Bush was not the kind of CEO America needed ”economically.” He believed we needed a Democrat to replace the current CEO, George Bush.

He explained that the other Democrats he voted for in other Democratic primaries were just his personal friends. But he assured us he was a fiscal conservative, regardless of whether he votes for Democrats or not.

4. Emory Wilkerson’s voting record contrasted remarkably from the other candidates.

Unlike the other candidates,
a. Emory had never voted in any Democratic primaries while Horgan and Hughes had.

b. Emory has never missed a chance to vote since moving to Fayette. Horgan and Hughes have.

c. Emory was the only dues-paying Republican Party member (although Mr. Hughes paid his first dues to the party that night, while Mr. Horgan stayed strangely quiet, keeping his wallet in his pocket).

d. Emory has actually run as a Republican candidate for the state House before, while Horgan and Hughes have not.

e. Emory had served on numerous Republican committees, attended numerous Republican conventions and had served on the local Republican Party Executive Board as first vice-chair. Mr. Horgan and Mr. Hughes have never been seen before at any Republican event, especially fund-raisers, until they both announced their candidacy for public office.

The final straw was a question that was posed to all of the candidates: How many county commission meetings had they attended before they decided to run to be a commissioner?

While Emory Wilkerson had been to numerous county commission meetings, Mr. Horgan could only remember having attended “city council meetings” to get his business license approved years before; and Mr. Hughes only gave a generic answer that he has shown up to a variety of different political meetings over the years and he had no idea how many commission meetings he had attended.

My quick straw poll of our current county commissioners showed that only Emory had ever actually attended any of their official meetings, which explains Horgan’s and Hughes’ non-answers. I strongly suspect that neither Mr. Hughes or Mr. Horgan have ever been to a single county commission meeting, and yet they now want to be elected to become one. They probably believe in on the job training as well.

The difference at the forum was clear. Emory Wilkerson has been a Republican long before being a Republican in Fayette was cool. Emory has a proven voting history and has been a proud, and strong, and involved Republican long before he announced his decision to run for this office.

Mr. Horgan and Mr. Hughes appeared overnight, like magic. Both were talking the talk, but neither has ever walked the walk.

Perhaps one day, Mr. Horgan and Mr. Hughes will work hard within the community and within the Republican Party before they decide they want to run again as a Republican candidate.

Fayette Countians expect more and deserve more. We have a wonderful community that needs honest and loyal stewards who have shown a history of conservative and consistent voting. We do not need any “Johnny come latelys.” We need true Republicans.

The time has come for Emory Wilkerson to be the Republican County Commissioner from Post 1. We don’t need to split our vote with two other newbie Republicans and then give the Democratic candidate a chance to sneak in under the radar screen.

I’m asking all Fayette County Republicans to come together behind the only proven and dedicated Republican running in this race, Emory Wilkerson.

Richard Hobbs

Hobbs is an attorney in Fayetteville and a member of the Fayette County Board of Elections.