He once went to prison for beating a Maryland Black man in 1993

Every kind of person is running for public office in Georgia these days. Former NFL players, former KKK leaders, you name it.

Chester Doles, 61, was once known as the Grand Klaliff of the Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Maryland and made a plethora of media appearances to share his racist ideologies. But now, the man who once spent time in prison for beating a Black man is running for public office as a GOP. He wants to be known as a “white civil rights activist,” according to CBS 46.

Doles has been to prison twice, in 1993 he was convicted of beating a Black man in Maryland and served for years in prison. In 2003 he was convicted of weapons violations in Georgia and spent four years in federal prison.

But how is Doles still able to run for public office?

According to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, convicted felons can run for and hold public office in Georgia if at least 10 years have passed since they completed their prison term and if they get their civil rights restored.

However, the state Board of Pardons and Paroles and Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners say they do not have a record of Doles getting his rights restored.

From CBS 46:

Doles told CBS46 investigative reporter Rachel Polansky that he now has to contact the Secretary of State’s Office to get a status on his campaign.

“This sick insane culture of wokeness is destroying America. These people want us gone. We American patriots are the new most endangered species,” 61-year-old Chester Doles said to a small crowd on the campaign trail.

Doles is running for a seat on the Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners as a Republican. Some of the signs he’s been using during his campaign read, “Stop Socialism. Save America,” a slogan also used by Congresswoman who thinks Kwanzaa is a fake religion, Marjorie Taylor Greene, according to CBS 46.

Not much different from the Oklahoma Republican who compared Black Lives Matter to the KKK, Doles is comparing himself to civil rights activists.

Doles said, according to CBS 46,” If you look at Hosea Williams, he was on the City Council, he was arrested 168 times. Congressman John Lewis, he was arrested 68 times, so that’s not a reason to disqualify someone. Don’t matter if you’re out there for the civil rights movement than I’m a white civil rights activist then.”

One of Doles’ goals is to keep out Critical Race Theory, claiming that it’s Marxist. But, when asked if he publicly denounces racism he answered, “I do publicly denounce racism, yes ma’am,” according to CBS 46.

Despite Doles’ past as a Klansman and felon, he’s still confident he can win. I don’t doubt him, I mean, it’s Georgia. The land of unnecessary voting laws and “divisive concepts” bills.