Local & State Headlines

Adams, Bishop lose at caucus

• The wife of U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop insists her support for a presidential candidate is sincere.

Susan McCord

AMERICUS — A last-minute relocation of the 2nd District Democratic caucus and unwarranted skepticism about her loyalty to Hillary Clinton may have cost Vivian Creighton Bishop a position as an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention, Bishop said Monday.

Neither Bishop, the wife of Rep. Sanford Bishop, D- Albany, and the elected clerk of Columbus’ municipal court, nor Albany Mayor Willie Adams won election Saturday to serve as delegates to the national convention, to be held Aug. 25-28 in Denver.

About 182 people registered to cast votes in the caucus, which was moved from Columbus to Americus last week after several voters filed a complaint with the state Democratic party that Columbus was not centrally located in the 2nd District, District Party Chair Margaret Tyson said.

The 2nd District covers southern and western portions of consolidated Columbus- Muscogee County, and reaches east and south to include Fort Valley, Americus, Albany, Cordele, Bainbridge, Cairo and Thomasville.

Supporters by the “busload” helped ensure the success of Peach County delegate candidate Albert O’Bryant and Macon County candidate Lynmore James, both of whom secured male slots to represent Obama at the convention, defeating Adams, George Brown Jr. and Corey Wimberly, Tyson said.

From Dougherty County, Pamela Jackson and Mary Helen Dykes were elected to serve as Obama female delegates after defeating Dykes’ sister, Juliana Roth.

Bishop said she was “very disturbed” to learn late last week that the location of the caucus had changed, and that it may have helped her lose the election to a single female Clinton delegate slot.

Joined in the contest by Muscogee Democratic party chair Alice Pate and Shannon Marietta, Bishop said she narrowly lost to Marietta, 18-20, after several of her supporters weren’t made aware that the caucus had been moved.

“I found out about (the change) from the (Columbus) Ledger-Enquirer who called me to interview. It was too short of notice... It should have been widely advertised,” Bishop said.

Arriving at Americus’ Windsor Hotel, where the caucus was held, Bishop said she was again met with skepticism about her support for Clinton.

Her husband is co-chair of Obama’s Georgia campaign.

“There were some comments from those in my opponent’s camp, that they didn’t believe I was truly a supporter,” she said.

In addition to media attention, her decision to support Clinton has garnered criticism from members of the black community and occasional harassment, she said.

“I think that’s silly, very immature and very misinformed. I certainly would not support (Obama) just because he’s black,” she said. “Just as I would not support Hillary Clinton because she’s a woman.

“I think it’s unfair for them to have to use that race card, like, ‘she’s not really for Hillary; she just wants to get there and support Barack.’ Hillary knows that and my husband knows that that is not true.”

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