A TANGLED WEB
“You can get away with the most extraordinary offenses to morality and to truth in this country if you’ll just get yourself called Reverend.”
—Christopher Hitchens
I told y’all I’m here to shake things up!
The campaign trail is a unique experience that offers insights into the electoral process. Noticing some disturbing inconsistencies, I have discovered that the Reverend Darrius Butler has been deceiving the citizens of Georgia’s 8th district since his previous run in 2022.
Rev. Darrius Butler claims to live in Warner Robins… at least he tells that to the citizens of Georgia’s mighty 8th Congressional district.
But he told the FEC a different story.
The Reverend Darrius Butler appears to reside in the Greater Atlanta suburb of Stockbridge, Georgia in Henry County.
Stockbridge is located in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District, not the 8th.
Henry County is not even adjacent to the 8th district.
For some reason, Butler has yet to file any of the required 2024 financial reports with the FEC, according to their site. But his reports from the 2022 election against Austin Scott show that Darrius Butler of Stockbridge, GA made donations to his political committee, Butler for Georgia, located in Warner Robins, GA. The addresses he provides are UPS stores in Warner Robins and Macon. I doubt he lays his head in a UPS store mailbox.
To confuse the matter even further, Rev. Butler registered to vote in Houston County with yet another address, this one located in the 2nd Congressional district, ably represented by Sanford Bishop.
Is Butler lying to the FEC? Or is he lying to the Board of Elections? Either way, he is obviously lying to the citizens of Georgia’s 8th.
It’s illegal to lie to the FEC or the Board of Elections or the Secretary of State, but, for some odd reason, it’s perfectly legal for a candidate to lie to the electorate, as Donald Trump and George Santos have proven.
I’m sure, in his efforts to deceive us, the Reverend Butler has a friend, family member, or campaign worker who lives in Warner Robins, but where does he lay his head most nights? Where does he keep most of his stuff? Where does he LIVE?
Rev. Butler appears to live in the 3rd district, vote in the 2nd district, and run in the 8th district. Why? The Purple Dawg always does his homework, but I’m afraid I cannot speak intelligently on what compels a reverend to lie.
While the Constitution requires Congressional candidates to live in the state they represent, they may run in any county whether they live there or not.
But I think the citizens of a district have a right to know whether or not someone running to represent them actually lives among them.
A candidate from greater Atlanta has very different interests in the big city than the small and medium towns of the agricultural 8th.
So why doesn’t Butler just run in the 3rd or the 2nd? Obviously, he did not want to attempt to unseat Sanford Bishop, the long time Democratic Representative of Georgia’s 2nd.
Maybe he thought Austin Scott was more vulnerable in the 8th than the cluster of candidates scurrying to fill Drew Ferguson’s vacated seat in the 3rd, including primary challenges from Democrats Almonord and Keller, and the battle between five republicans, and even an Independent.
Or maybe he thought he wouldn’t have a primary challenger in the 8th. But he never saw me coming.
Looking at his performance against Austin Scott back in 2022, Rev. Butler lost every single county as Scott easily defeated him in a landslide.
What’s new? Why does he think the voters in every county in this district have changed their minds?
Why does Rev. Butler think that the citizens of the 8th that he has deceived want to be represented by someone who doesn’t live in our district, let alone someone whose interests lie in Atlanta?
A reverend lying to gain political power is not a new story, but one that always smacks of betrayal. This disappointing variation on election fraud hurts Democrats everywhere. It must be called out. It must be made clear that Georgia Democrats reject this dishonesty. Of course, this is being reported to the FEC, the BOE, the SOS, and all appropriate authorities.
We will never retake the House if we run dishonest candidates like this. Rev. Butler would be the same sort of embarrassment as George Santos.
We, the citizens of the 8th deserve better.
One of the proudest moments of my life was standing alone in that voting booth during early voting, and seeing my name on the ballot, and voting for myself, not out of ego, but out of a desire to serve the community I love.
That is a joy that Reverend Butler has obviously never known. He has never voted in the district in which he runs, and so has never seen his name on a ballot or had the opportunity to vote for himself. Obviously, he lacks that pride in his own district that compels so many of us to run.
My name is Vince Watkins. I proudly live in Tifton, Georgia, and it is my great honor to offer my service to the citizens of Georgia’s mighty 8th. Help me shake things up!
Thank you for your very kind attention, and hopefully, your sacred vote.