Local & State Headlines

Candidates ready for elections

• Candidates scramble to serve in county offices during qualifying week in Baker, Lee, Terrell and Worth counties.

Susan McCord

DAWSON – Around Southwest Georgia, candidates are lining up this week to serve on county school boards, commissions and as sheriffs, with many races likely to be decided July 15.

“Every seat in the county is up for election except for the county commissioners,” said Carolyn Williams, supervisor of elections and voter registration in Terrell County.

“I’m excited about it,” Williams said. “I probably won’t be when they finish.”

In addition to all five School Board members, Terrell elects its County Commission chair, clerk of courts, tax commissioner, sheriff and county treasurer this year.

The county will have to fill the shoes of longtime Clerk of Courts Louise Darley, is retiring this year after 24 years in the office, Williams said.

By the end of the third day of qualifying, two people had filed to run for the clerk’s position — Janice S. Bryant and Jerry W. Brim, according to Pauline Holley, secretary for the Terrell County Democratic Party.

And three men had qualified to run for sheriff of Terrell County — a job John W. Bowens has held since 1992. They were Bowens, Joey Harris, who ran against Bowens in 2004, and William “Gene” Shadows.

Incumbents who have been the only candidates to qualify for their respective Terrell County positions are Coroner James C. “Bo” Hamby, Tax Commissioner Peggy H. Pritchett, County Treasurer Phonso E. Donaldson and County Commission Chairman W.T. Gamble Jr., Holley said.

Qualifying to run for Terrell County School Board are incumbents Clifford Browner Jr., Mellean Davis and Ray C. Moses, she said. Browner will face Ralph N. Chambless for the District 2 seat and Leonard P. Jones and Fannie Maude Dennard have qualified to run for the District 5 seat currently held by Linda Pittman Jones. With all candidates qualifying as Democrats so far, those Terrell races could be decided by voters in the primary election.

Qualifying for two nonpartisan posts, those of Terrell’s probate and magistrate judges, will be conducted June 23-27.

Dawson also holds elections for its mayor and three council members this year.

In Worth County, three people officially joined contests Wednesday, including former School Board member Jerry Jones, who qualified as a Republican, qualifying agent Barbara Willis said.

Democrats who qualified Wednesday were County Commission Chairman Dan Miller and Webbie Hill, who qualified to run for the District 1 County Commission post currently held by Tony Hall, qualifying agent Tabetha DuPriest said.

In Lee County, three people qualified Wednesday to run as Republicans for three county posts, including Rick Muggridge for Lee’s Century District Commission post, Susan Smith for tax commissioner and Sondra Cook for clerk of courts, party chairman Tom Heldenberg said.

Candidates are slowly showing interest in 14 Baker County posts up for election this year, Probate Judge Angel Hendricks said.

Qualifying as Democrats to run for Baker’s five School Board positions were incumbents John Moore, Grace Miller, Ivory Joe Benton, Jimmy Barnett and Myrlene Sheffield, she said.

Joining the race against Moore for Baker’s Newton District School Board post is Carrie V. Hall, Hendricks said. Opposing Miller in the Elmodel District is Tracy Jackson and running for the Hoggards Mill seat held by Benton for 28 years is Janet Miller.

Only Sheriff Isaac Anderson had qualified late Wednesday to run for sheriff, Hendricks said.

Anderson, whose Georgia Peace Officer Certifications and Training certification was revoked when the Georgia Court of Appeals overruled a lower court’s ruling last month, is allowed to keep his position and run again while he appeals the case to the Georgia Supreme Court, according to previous reports.

At the end of its third day, qualifying is far from its official end at noon Friday, Hendricks said.

“We’ll be bombarded Friday morning,” she said.

More Headlines>>