Shortly after winning a head-to-head matchup in the Democratic primary in Georgia’s 11th Congressional District, Katy Stamper put out a statement that appeared to be an appeal to conservative-leaning voters in a seat that U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, a Cassville Republican, has held since 2015.
“While our dollars continue to shrink making it hard to pay for food, gas, housing, and putting our kids through college, Barry Loudermilk has no appetite to take on the Washington, D.C. system,” Stamper wrote. “As an independent thinker, I will work to find new avenues to solve our problems.”
Now, people are scrutinizing Stamper’s words with new eyes after details have emerged indicating she is likely a Democrat in name only.
Stamper, an attorney in Woodstock, has voted as a Republican repeatedly since 1994, according to a search of voter records. She pulled Democratic ballots only twice since then: this year, when she presumably voted for herself in the congressional race for the seat representing exurbs north of Atlanta, and in the presidential preference primary in 2016.
She also has donated consistently to Republican candidates since 2020, albeit in small-dollar amounts. She supported both Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign and Donald Trump’s. She wrote a check to conservative Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz in March, the most recent donation on record.
In 1990, Stamper ran for a seat in the Georgia House as a candidate of the Libertarian Party. At the time, she was going by her birth name, Karen Sacandy. She had it legally changed in 2019.
Reached by phone on Tuesday, Stamper would not say whether she currently identifies as a Republican or a Democrat. And she would not say whether she has had any contact with the Democratic Party of Georgia about her campaign.
“I think what I’m going to do is I’m going to put some FAQs on my website,” she said. “And then hopefully they will answer your questions.”
The Democratic Party of Georgia did not return messages seeking information about whether the party had vetted her as a candidate or had any contact with Stamper’s campaign before or after the primary. There is no party loyalty oath required for either Republicans or Democrats to qualify for partisan primaries in Georgia.
Stamper mostly flew under the radar leading up to the May 21 primary, where she defeated repeat candidate Antonio Daza with 57% of the vote. Some voters viewed her candidacy with skepticism prior to election night, but her win drew new attention to Stamper’s record.
Still, Stamper will be on the ballot in November as the Democrats’ nominee. Loudermilk remains the favorite to win in the heavily Republican district.
Staff writers Greg Bluestein and Charles Minshew contributed to this article.
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