Catoosa County sheriff candidates debate citizens’ firearms rights

Once again, the debate over citizens’ rights to carry firearms — that is, open vs. concealed — was the hot-button topic for the five men running for Catoosa County sheriff in the July 31 Republican primary.
There are no Democratic candidates on the ballot for sheriff, so the primary election on Tuesday, July 31, will decide the race, with many observers predicting there will be runoff between the two top vote-getters.

Others participating in the forum on July 12 were candidates for clerk of the Superior Court, school board at large, county commission Districts 1 and 3, district attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit and chief magistrate. The Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce election forum was held at The Colonnade.

The question posed to the five sheriff’s candidates was whether they support open and concealed carry of a firearm. Candidate Larry Black began his answer by stating he was “dismayed” at his fellow candidates’ answers to this same question during an earlier debate hosted by the Catoosa County Tea Party.

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