Independent Runs as Republican in Ninth District Race

Ninth District Congressional Candidate Roger Fitzpatrick will run as a Republican.Fitzpatrick, who announced his candidacy in February, initially said he would run as an Independent.

In February, when asked why he wanted to run as an Independent, Fitzpatrick said he wanted to bridge the gap between the two parties, lamenting the incessant blame-game between Republicans and Democrats. The Ninth District, however, is one of the most conservative voting districts in the nation, with little to bridge. Although, while touting himself as an Independent, Fitzpatrick said he had conservative values, aligning his ideas with those of local conservative archetype Rep. Tom Graves, current Ninth District Congressman. Graves will soon move to the new 14th District, vacating an also new Ninth District.

Earlier this month, Fitzpatrick started to hit the campaign trail with a visit to Gilmer County. Here, he introduced himself to local voters and fielded questions.

During his Gilmer County visit, he discussed his decision to run as an Independent. He explained he must secure signatures from at least five percent of Ninth District voters to get on the July ballot, which, he said, equals approximately 15,000 signatures.

In an email to FYN this week, Fitzpatrick said he has decided to run as a Republican.

“After much thought and talking with many people, I’ve decided to run for the 9th District Congressional seat as a Republican…The number of signatures needed for an Independent to be placed on the ballot is quite daunting,”

he wrote, adding,

“ Also, I think the people of this district would prefer to vote for a party candidate, especially if they have no personal knowledge of the candidate.”