Fulton County, Ga. – In a decisive move ahead of the upcoming District 1 race, Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts announced his endorsement of Republican Commissioner Bridget Thorne. Pitts, who recently fought the federal seizure of the county’s 2020 election records, praised Thorne’s experience and said they share many policy positions despite differing views on election integrity.
Endorsement details
On August 28, Thorne posted a thank‑you message to Pitts on social media, attaching a silent video from a rooftop campaign event in Alpharetta where Pitts was in attendance. A separate video from the same event shows Pitts standing beside Thorne and several supporters while repeatedly referring to Democratic opponent Maggie Goldman as a “nutcase.”
When asked about the comment, Pitts doubled down in a phone interview with SaportaReport, saying, “She criticizes Fulton County with no justification. We are a top‑tier county and recognized as such. For someone to criticize the county just because they are running for office, I reject that, and I will speak out about that.”
Background on the race
Thorne and Goldman have faced each other before. In the 2022 election, Thorne narrowly defeated Goldman for the District 1 seat by a fraction of 1 % of the vote. The upcoming contest is drawing renewed attention because of the lingering fallout from the FBI’s January raid on the Fulton County elections hub in South Fulton, an operation that seized 650 boxes of ballots and related documents.
Thorne was identified in the affidavit that justified the raid as “Witness 11.” She testified that she believed some ballots were removed from voting machines and left unattended while equipment was being tested. The raid sparked fierce criticism from local officials, including Pitts, who said he felt personally targeted by the investigation.
Pitts’ rationale for backing Thorne
Pitts explained that his endorsement stems from years of working closely with Thorne. “I’ve had the privilege of working with her and teaching her about county government. She has become a solid commissioner,” he said. “She has a point of view on elections that I disagree with, but I disagree with anyone who says that our elections are not open, fair and transparent.”
He emphasized that the disagreement over election integrity is an isolated issue among many areas where they align, such as county services and fiscal management.
Goldman’s response
Goldman called Pitts’ remarks “grossly inappropriate,” adding, “It’s just a gross example of how badly we need a new chair. He does the same thing with Mo Ivory.” She declined to comment further on the endorsement.
Other recent controversies
After losing the Democratic runoff for commission chair to Mo Ivory in June, Pitts sparked additional criticism by attributing Ivory’s support to what he called “Black girl magic.” He later clarified that the comment was based on voting trends, not intended as a disparagement. “There has been a trend of Black women voting for Black women. That’s undisputed,” Pitts told Fox 5 Atlanta.
Pitts also noted that he has publicly supported three Black women candidates, including former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor, Judge Penny Brown Reynolds for secretary of state, and state Rep. Tanya Miller for attorney general.
What’s next?
The endorsement adds a new dynamic to the District 1 race as voters weigh Thorne’s record as a commissioner against Goldman’s platform. With the FBI raid still a point of contention, both campaigns are likely to reference the investigation in upcoming debates and advertisements.
Thorne has not responded to requests for comment on this story.
Original reporting: SaportaReport — read the source article.
