Group blasts Hullander, Smedley as Hamilton County mayoral campaign turns negative

Apr. 21—An independent political group backing Weston Wamp for Hamilton County mayor began this week a direct mail and radio advertising campaign targeting his competitors.

The campaign blasted the business record of former Hullco owner Matt Hullander and the union endorsements for Hamilton County Commission Chairwoman Sabrena Smedley.

In a radio commercial airing on WGOW Talk Radio 102.3 FM, a group called Chattanoogans for Responsible Government asked why Smedley "is cozying up with the liberal teachers' union," which the ad said has supported masking children and "continues to push their radical woke agenda like critical race theory."

The radio ad said Smedley, who has served two terms as county commissioner, "hasn't made a lick of difference."

In a mailing sent out to prospective Republican voters, Chattanoogans for Responsible Government also criticized Hullander for being sued multiple times "for paying illegal wages" at Hullco and for violating overtime pay requirements for some of its workers.

The attack ads are some of the sharpest yet in the three-candidate field for the Republican primary on May 3 among Hullander, Smedley and Wamp to succeed retiring Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger.

Chattanoogans for Responsible Government was started by Legacybox co-founder Adam Boeselager, who also helped start the Millennial Debt Foundation headed by Wamp. The political group paid more than $7,000 for the radio advertisements on WGOW.

"In a race that severely lacks depth, we wanted to bring transparency to important topics," Boeselager, the political treasurer for Chattanoogans for Responsible Government, said in a statement Wednesday night. "If a mayoral candidate can't handle public scrutiny, they probably wouldn't make a very good mayor."

Smedley said in a statement Wednesday night she was "disappointed in the underhanded tactics, but I guess that's what other candidates do when they're desperate.

"They're freaking out because we have the momentum," the statement said. "I'm running for all the right reasons, and I'm committed to running a positive, aboveboard campaign."

Hullander also issued a statement.

"Politicians do what politicians do," the statement said. "Clearly Weston Wamp has decided to attack us because he is way behind and running out of time. Folks in Hamilton County are looking for bold conservative leadership to make it better. I had hoped to continue to talk about us the issues that matter to voters and will continue to do so."

In a statement, Wamp denied any involvement in the attack ads.