CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The outgoing president of Corpus Christi's NAACP chapter, Terry Mills, is asking the organization's national office for a new election.
Earlier this week, 3News reported on the chapter's election of officers and the fact that Mills, who has been president of the group for many years, was soundly defeated.
On Thursday, Mills suggested the results were fraudulent. Mills was joined by a group of supporters outside the local chapter's office in Heritage Park for a news conference Thursday morning.
"I don't count this as a loss. I count this as a fraud," Mills said to a group about the recent election.
According to the local NAACP chapter, Mills was defeated by incoming President Jeremy Coleman. Mills has been serving as the chapter President for the last 12 and a half years.
"This is voter suppression, and it's done in an ugly manner. NAACP fights for stuff like this throughout the United States," Mills said.
During the press conference, Mills said out of 840 members, Coleman received 150 votes. Mills only received 17. He is contesting the results.
"This was not an election. 90-percent of the membership did not vote. I was on the ballot. I didn't get no invitation," Mills said. "This is not a fair election. A large majority of the membership did not get ballots."
Because of COVID-19, this year's election was done electronically via e-mail, despite a request to the national office to do it through Zoom, according to Mills.
Others who spoke at the press conference said they also did not receive an opportunity to vote and did not know about the election until after the results.
"Give everybody the right to vote," one supporter said.
"Hundreds of our local NAACP chapter members were not given the right to vote. I stand as a member in good standing of the H. Boyd chapter of the NAACP. I was not given a ballot," member Robert Gonzalez said.
"They said on TV that we have a new NAACP president," member Arlena Pullam said. "And I said, 'How can we have a new president if we haven't voted?'"
Mills said he has filed an appeal to the national office of the NAACP to ask for another election.
"I will always speak up in the name of righteousness. I will always speak up when it's not fair," Mills said.
"If the national office wants to remove me go right ahead, because you know what? I will not go down without a good fight."
3News did reach out to both incoming President Jeremy Coleman and the national NAACP headquarters in Baltimore Maryland. As of this report, we have not received a response.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com: