Conflicts Of Interest & Deception Precede Hamilton County GOP Convention

Image Credit: HCGOP, LinkedIn & Facebook

The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

As GOP county reorganization conventions continue across the state, several counties are running conservative slates of grassroots candidates, including Hamilton County. Ahead of the HCGOP Convention, tensions have arisen between the establishment-linked slate and the Activate Hamilton slate of grassroots Conservatives.

Specifically, at issue are two concerns: The questioned impartiality of the Contest & Credentials Committee and inaccurate messages from Chairman Mark Harrison regarding pre-registration requirements, which are not mentioned in HCGOP bylaws.

Is Pre-Registration Required for the HCGOP Convention?

The outgoing chair of the Hamilton County GOP, Mark Harrison, has accused conservative competitor Gail Greene and the grassroots Activate Hamilton slate of using “fraudulent” means to register supporters for the upcoming convention, according to an article released by the Chattanoogan. Yet, the HCGOP bylaws make no mention of a pre-registration requirement for participation.

On their website, the Activate Hamilton slate has a link where Republicans can “pre-qualify” for the convention. The process is a simple review of a Republican’s voting record to see if they have voted in 3 of the last 4 GOP primaries. After the voting record is reviewed, Activate Hamilton sends voters an email indicating if they are “bona fide” to participate in the Convention. This helps Conservatives know up front if they can or can’t participate as a delegate.

Will HCGOP Contest & Credential Committee Members Be Impartial?

The Contest & Credentials Committee is supposed to consist of impartial members of the HCGOP that will vet candidates voting records and make certain the bylaws are followed during the convention.

However, Paulina Madaris, a paid staffer for Marsha Blackburn and former assistant to Zach Wamp, recently announced her candidacy for the establishment slate as Treasurer, despite serving on the committee.

As of publication, The Tennessee Conservative has not heard whether Madaris will step down from the Committee.

Further, Cody Harvey, a candidate for Chattanooga City Council, publicly endorsed Jim Hammond for establishment chair. He recently contacted The Tennessee Conservative to state that he is stepping down to preserve the impartiality of the committee.

This raises significant questions over the integrity of the election and ballots being properly counted, as the Contest and Credentials Committee oversees the election, led by Credentials Chair Scott McColpin, who will preside over the convention. Supposedly, the committee will adhere to the bylaws by allowing each candidate to appoint an observer for the vote tallies, but McColpin made clear that all responsibility falls on the candidates and not the party.

Likely Establishment-Linked Slate Members

According to anonymous sources familiar with the matter, the establishment-linked slate will likely consist of the following individuals. 

• Chair, Jim Hammond

• Vice Chair, Virginia Ann Manson

• Secretary, Derek Kukura

• Treasurer, Paulina Medaris

• Vice Treasurer, Barry Watson

More Questions Asked & Answered Regarding the Convention Process

In response to Harrison’s accusations, Greene responded, “Mark Harrison is lying to the Republican voters of Hamilton County because there is NO requirement to pre-register for the county reorganization convention. His accusations about our website are baseless. Here at Activate Hamilton, we are pre-qualifying participants, which any person with a voting list can do. Once people know whether or not they are qualified and how to participate, they can be ACTIVATED to make our local Republican Party stronger than ever. For more information, I encourage people to visit www.activatehamilton.com“

Harrison has reportedly contacted GOP State Party Chair Scott Golden over Activate Hamilton’s pre-qualification link, though there is no requirement to pre-register nor are there any prohibitions disallowing a candidate or slate running a website or helping interested citizens determine their eligibility to participate in the convention.

Additionally, Greene sent several questions to Scott McColpin, the Chair of the Contest and Credentials Committee, asking for clarification on certain issues discussed at the last committee meeting, and McColpin confirmed there is no requirement to pre-register for the convention. Republicans who wish to participate may do so the day of, though the wait time may be slightly longer than those who pre-registered as the committee must first confirm the eligibility of each attendee before registering them for convention.

Greene inquired: “Will any qualified republicans be turned away on the day of the convention if they have NOT registered with the State GOP?“

McColpin’s answer: “There will be two lines the morning of the convention.  The lines will consist of those that have pre-registered and those that have not.  The people that have pre- registered will probably go through their line quite quickly, as they have already been pre-vetted.  The other line, those that have not pre-registered, will probably move very slow. The contest and credentials board will have to individually vet each person.  If they meet the criteria of voting republican in the last 3 of 4 state primaries and zero democratic votes, then they will be considered qualified and allowed to attend.  If they do not meet the qualify requirements, they will not be allowed to attend as a potential delegate but can still attend as a guest.  The meeting is open to the public, but only delegates/alternates are allowed on the main floor. We will have an area set aside for guest and press.“

Greene: “The by-laws say each candidate for office may appoint a delegate to observe the vote being tallied. How do we make sure this happens?“

McColpin: “It will be the responsibility of the candidate to select a person to do the observation. There will be a table set up in the front where the votes will be tallied. The candidates are responsible for having the person they chose to simply come over to the table and observe.“

Overall, it seems the establishment leadership may be “crying wolf” to deter conservatives from attending the convention and circling the wagons in an effort to consolidate power as grassroots efforts to reclaim GOPs across the state gain momentum.

The Hamilton County GOP Reorganization Convention is scheduled for Saturday, March 1, 2025, 9:00 am at Hixson Middle School.