Frank Ginn, the incumbent District 47 state Senator in Georgia, revealed that he’s still weighing his options after it was revealed that his challenger in the General Election, scheduled for November, is now a convicted felon serving a prison sentence. A Madison County Superior Court Judge sentenced 41-year-old Justin Grant Gillespie of Hull to a total of seven years, with the first two to be served behind bars.
Gillespie had already qualified to run as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the November ballot to seek the state Senate seat. However, the conviction for battery and cruelty to children has more than likely disqualified him from the election, though his name will remain on the ballot. Ginn gave a statement to the press immediately following the news of Gillespie’s sentencing.
“I’m sure his name will be on the ballot because the ballots are already printed,” Ginn went on to say. District 47 includes areas of Madison County, where Ginn lives, along with several parts of Clarke, Barrow, and Jackson counties. “I have never had this occur,” a clearly flabbergasted Ginn told the media. Ginn was first elected to the seat in 2010 and has faced opposition in the past.
According to a report from Yahoo News, Gillespie, who had never entered a political race before, is being detained in the Madison County Jail following his September 16 conviction. The Georgia Secretary of State’s office said they are still looking into the matter, but an office spokesman said that Gillespie’s name will remain on the ballot.
“It will probably be wise for his challenger to file a challenge to his candidacy and get them thrown off the ballot,” Secretary of State Communications Director Robert Sinners explained. Any votes for Gillespie would not be counted. Gillespie was convicted in a bench trial before Judge Chris NeSmith, who heard evidence that supported the charge against the man and then handed down a guilty verdict.
Gillespie was charged with cruelty to kids in 2021 after law enforcement officials say he hit a kid with a spatula while working in a day care center located in Hull. Gillespie has maintained the whole incident was a horrible accident, saying he didn’t know the child was standing so close to him when he swung the object.
According to a report from WLHR, Gillespie received a bench trial because after he appeared for a jury trial, he fired his attorney. Following that move, the judge gave him the option of a jury trial or a bench trial. He chose the latter. The family members of the 5-year-old victim gave testimony during the bench trial. Gillespie responded by rolling his eyes.
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Unfortunately for Gillespie, the judge considered that behavior when coming up with his sentencing. The incident occurred on February 1, 2025. Gillespie allegedly smacked the child in the lower back with a spatula so hard that it left the skin red and raised a welt. The child then spoke with investigators and told them that he was angry with her for not taking a nap.