James Lynwood Bentley , Jr. ( June 15 , 1927 in Upson County , Georgia &ndash; November 7 , 2003 ) , was from 1963 to 1971 the comptroller general of Georgia ( the office that later became known as the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner ) . Originally a Democrat , Bentley and four other constitutional officers in Georgia switched to the Republican Party in 1968 to protest the violence that shook the Democratic National Convention in Chicago , Illinois that year . Bentley unsuccessfully sought the 1970 Republican gubernatorial nomination . He was defeated by a more liberal candidate , Hal Suit , an Atlanta news broadcaster who opposed capital punishment . Suit polled 62,868 primary votes ( 58.5 percent ) to Bentley 's 40,251 ( 37.4 percent )
Democratic National Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
James L. Bentley