challenge to state Senate candidate Mitch

Seabaugh's qualification for office has been

dismissed.

Seabaugh

is one of three Republicans running for incumbent

28th District Sen. Rick Price's seat. The

district encompasses parts of Fayette, Spalding

and Coweta counties.

Republicans

are crying "foul" in the incident, in

which Democrats challenged 17 candidates in an

apparent attempt to disqualify one unknown

candidate whom an observer had allegedly seen

qualifying after the noon deadline April 28. All

but one of the 17 challenges were dismissed

Monday morning,

All

the candidates were on time, said Linda Hamrick,

executive director of the state Republican Party.

"We've got witnesses," said Hamrick.

"I helped clear the room at the end of

qualifying, and everyone qualified before the

deadline," she said.

"It's

curious that they would go to such extremes with

the taxpayers' money," said Hamrick. "I

guess they were worried about losing power."

Fayette

Democratic Party Chairman Ernest Broadwell filed

the challenge against Seabaugh, he said, after a

state party official phoned him and asked him to.

Challenges must be filed by residents of the

candidate's district.

Broadwell

said he was under the impression that the state

official had personally seen Seabaugh qualify

late, but later learned that wasn't the case.

"I

was a little bit reluctant at the time, and I

don't think I'll do that again," he said.

"I didn't see it."

Seabaugh

said Monday he asked Democratic Party officials

to let him present evidence to them that proved

he qualified on time, but received no response.

In

a letter to Broadwell, he said, "It is my

hope that after you see my evidence, you will

withdraw your complaint and help save the

taxpayers of this state some of their tax

dollars."

The

lack of response, he said, "shows there was

no desire on the part of Mr. Broadwell or the

Democratic Party to resolve the matter quickly

and as cost effectively as possible."

Officials

of the state Democratic Party did not return

phone calls from The Citizen.

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