CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Wes Golden, who last week announced he’s running for county mayor in 2022, has an assault conviction on his record from an incident 19 years ago.

According to court documents obtained by Clarksville Now, Golden was arrested March 4, 2002, on a warrant for aggravated domestic assault.

Clarksville Now reached out to Golden, who said the victim was a woman he had been dating on and off at the time. He said he was out of town when the charges were filed.

According to the arrest warrant, Golden choked her to a “near unconscious state” and hit her in the back of the head multiple times.

The case was settled, and Golden pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of simple assault with a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, suspended on condition of a $25 fine, good behavior, probation and attendance of batterers’ intervention classes.

He said he pleaded guilty after months of back and forth in court to move on and “make it go away.”

Golden said he expected the case to come up when he announced his candidacy, but he hopes people will see him as a changed person.

“I was 20, 21 years old and wasn’t living the best life back then,” Golden said. “The man that I was back then, I wouldn’t have voted for him.”

Golden, who is now the Health and Safety manager for the City of Clarksville, plans to run as a Republican in the Montgomery County mayor’s race.