Jan. 6 rioter running for Congress storms off stage during televised debate

A Georgia Republican congressional candidate who was convicted over his part in the US Capitol riot stormed out of a live televised debate on Sunday night just a week before his party’s primary runoff.

Chuck Hand, who is battling GOP rival Wayne Johnson for the chance to take on 16-term Democratic incumbent Sanford Bishop in November, left the stage at the Atlanta Press Club after declaring that he refused to debate Johnson.

Rather than take a question on a new farming bill, the candidate — sporting a Caterpillar trucker’s cap and denim shirt — announced: “I’m Chuck Hand, life-long resident of the second district. I’ve worked side-by-side with the people of the second district solving problems since 2018.

“I’ve only seen this man next to me come around when it’s election time, wanting to run for office,” he said. “I’m not interested in debating the issues of the second district with a man who doesn’t even reside in it, especially one who orchestrates attacks on my wife. I’m more concerned about beating Sanford Bishop, representing you and passing the America First agenda and putting Donald Trump back in the White House.”

He concluded: “This race is very simple. It’s either eighth district money or second district heart. The choice is yours. It’s the dollar versus the change. Now this is where I get back in my truck and head back to southwest Georgia because I’ve got two races to win.”

And with that, Hand marched out of the studio with the cameras rolling, as moderator Donna Lowry called after him: “You’re not staying? You’re leaving, sir? OK.”

“Wow, I don’t even know how to react,” Johnson said.

Hand was aggrieved that Michael Nixon, who had finished third behind Johnson and himself in a four-way primary on May 21, gave