Lane Price ready 'to hit the ground running'

By Terry Lewis (1133)
terry.lewis@albanyherald.com

As of Wednesday, November 7, 2012
© Copyright 2013 Albany Herald

Dougherty County School Board at-large Democratic candidate Lane Price greets supporters at her campaign election night party at Cafe 230 Tuesday.

ALBANY, Ga. -- After a hard, nine-month campaign for the Dougherty County School Board's at-large seat, Lane Price was rewarded Tuesday night with a nearly 20,000-vote victory over write-in challenger Lorenzo Heard.

Price, the medical director at Willson Hospice House, garnered 27,052 votes to Heard's 7,886. Price was chosen by 77.4 percent of 38,017 votes cast in the contest; Heard came in with 22.6 percent.

"After all the numbers were in, I felt great last night, Price said. "But this morning, I realized all of the hard work that is ahead of us and it began to sink in."

The School Board will take on a different look in January when Price and Robert Youngblood assume their seats on the board. Youngblood, who ran unopposed in District 1, will succeed David Maschke, who did not seek re-election. Current Board members James Bush, the chairman, and Velvet Riggins were also unopposed in this year's elections.

Board members Darrel Ealum, Carol Tharin and Milton "June Bug" Griffin will stand for re-election in 2014.

Price's landslide victory continued a trend set in the July Democratic primary when she handily defeated incumbent Anita Williams-Brown by more than 2,100 votes. Her 4-to-1 victory over Heard sent a message, she said.

"I was very surprised by the margin I won by. I was concerned it would be a lot closer than that," Price said. "Our campaign concentrated on bringing the community together. I think the election showed that people wanted to act together as a community and make some positive changes in our school system."

Heard, the pastor at Greater 2nd Mt. Olive Baptist Church, jumped into the race days after Williams-Brown's defeat. His bid to get on the ballot as an independent was denied by the county elections board and he decided to run as a write-in.

"As a write-in, I knew we'd be at a great disadvantage," Heard said. "Many of our supporters were senior citizens and had difficulty using computers and had no idea how to write in a candidate."

Heard has no regrets about running.

"I am truly grateful for the support," Heard said. "I'm not grumbling, I'm not whining. Lane Price ran a good campaign and I hope she serves the children of Dougherty County well."

The victory represented the end of an emotional road to the School Board for Price.

"After winning the primary, I thought it was over," Price said. "Then Rev. Heard got in and I new we'd have to be campaigning all the way up to Nov. 6. His getting into the race was unique, but legal.

"I now hope the Heard voters will come together with us and help make significant changes to our broken school system. I want feedback from the entire community."

More like this story

Price wins School Board seat ( November 6, 2012 )
Price, Youngblood take oaths of office ( December 28, 2012 )
Results to be delayed on school board race ( October 18, 2012 )
Final numbers in on School Board race ( November 15, 2012 )
Price, Heard set for debate at Albany State ( October 23, 2012 )

bubbasmithredneck 6 months, 2 weeks ago

If his name was on the ballot, he would have won.....case closed......Nobody wins that "write-in" crap.....But I know who the Presidency of the USA......Do you???? Or do you have a case of "Romnesia" ? hahahahaha

VSU 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Lonely Troll! You are so full of sh*t your eyeballs are popping out of their sockets.

VSU 6 months, 2 weeks ago

You have a case of idiotnesia.

bubbasmithredneck 6 months, 1 week ago

awww poor Romney lover.......are you sad???

VSU 6 months, 1 week ago

No but you are. A sad sack that is.

bubbasmithredneck 6 months, 1 week ago

have a tissue........

saveourcity 6 months, 2 weeks ago

sour grapes, bubba?

TRUTH101 6 months, 2 weeks ago

His grapes are no more sour than the droves of Bumney supporters that post on the Herald.

VSU 6 months, 2 weeks ago

or the Obuma supporters who are poor sports.

Romney supporters were better losers than the Obuma supporters were winners that post on the boards. Can we say lack of class?

All that trash talking, pure lack of class.

TRUTH101 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Two wrongs day make a right...but um.......The negative attacks on OUR President came first.......

VSU 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Negative attacks on our president came first indeed. I believe George Bush got attacked first long before Obuma was even in the picture. People have had negative comments against every president since George Washington so don't give us that BS.

Your boy coachjohnson has been on this site trash talking since day 1 along with others. The only difference is White people are labeled haters just because they disagree with policies. Just because they speak against your boi they are racists. Funny though that all the white presidents in the past have been bashed and criticized by the same people but that is okay, but they criticize Obuma's policies and suddenly they are haters and racists and that is a bunch of BS. I root for the Georgia Bulldogs, but that doesn't mean I hate the other teams. I listen to country and rock music and don't listen to Rap, but that doesn't mean I hate Rap. People have the right to support whoever they choose without being accused of being haters and racists. People don't hate the player, they hate the game.

TRUTH101 6 months, 2 weeks ago

you cant even say OUR President.....smh..... Bush was my President although I did not vote for him......

VSU 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Can you say typo error? Above you said Two wrongs day make a right...what language is that? is that slang? Ebonics? Street talk? Nonetheless I didn't call you out on it because I knew that you meant Two wrongs don't make it right. So I guess that makes you racist because you jump to conclusions without knowing the full story.

TRUTH101 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Ok I made a typo....."So to make that makes you racist because you jump to conclusions without knowing the full story." but what are you talking about?!?!?!?!? Anyhow, OUR President thanks you for fulfilling your civic duty. have a blessed one!!!

VSU 6 months, 2 weeks ago

You jumped to conclusion first. I wasn't going to comment on your typo except you jumped to conclusion first so therefore I pointed out your typo. You were racist first, so that makes you the bigger racist.

TRUTH101 6 months, 2 weeks ago

How was I a racist? I only stated OUR President (Which he is) you stated YOUR Presdient.......but whatever.....CONGRATS DR. PRICE!!!!

VSU 6 months, 2 weeks ago

What part of typo error do you not understand? Do you even know what typo error means? I inadvertantly put a Y in front of our. I often have to edit because extra letters get put in by mistake. Gee, I apologize, sue me, get over it, get a life. Do something.

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