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ACC Commissioner-Elect Facing Lawsuit Challenging Election Results

An Athens-Clarke County Commissioner is facing a legal challenge in their path to office. District 6th Commissioner-Elect Jesse Houle has been named in a lawsuit challenging their victory.

 

“The chair of the Republican Party, Gordon Rodin, hired an attorney, David Ellison, to put together an injunction that’s challenging the Board of Elections, and I’m also named as a defendant. I just got served by the sheriff today. I am being sued. So, we’ll see how that plays out in court. It may lead to another special election, or it may not change anything,” Houle says.  

Houle agrees that law, and other Georgia election laws, should be changed:

“It’s flawed and we need legislative change. Most of those changes need to happen on the state level, some on the federal, and some can happen on the local.”

They recently issued a statement regarding the unique circumstances leading to their election.

Houle was declared the winner in the District 6 race after votes casts for Commissioner Jerry NeSmith were voided. NeSmith, who won the race, passed away days before the election.

“Anybody who wants to speak with me, please reach out. I know that there’s a lot of folks who are still grieving that loss, and that’s real, and in no way am I going to be able to be a substitute for him or to fill in that void, but I do intend to fill the seat with a lot of energy and I’ll be working diligently for the people of District 6,” they say. 

Barring any changes, Houle will be swearing into office in January 2021.