ALBANY — An Ocilla manager for Georgia Power and a Smithville businessman are the latest Republicans to put voters of Georgia’s 13th Senate District on notice — they want the senate seat.
Declared candidates Rusty Simpson and John “Dickie” Crosby of Tifton and Wally Roberts of Leesburg have been joined this week by Smithville retired Army veteran Bob Usry and Ocilla Georgia Power manager Horace Hudgins.
A special Republican primary on Aug. 5 was ordered by Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel after the post’s only candidate, Sen. Joseph Carter, R-Tifton, withdrew his name after qualifying ended for the July 15 general primary. Carter is running for a superior court judgeship in the Tift Judicial Circuit.
A special qualifying period for the Aug. 5 primary starts at 9 a.m. Wednesday and runs through noon Friday.
A member of Lee County’s Utilities Authority for 14 years, Bob Usry made headlines in 2006 when he accused Lee Commissioners of misusing county cell phones by making personal calls. Lee county commissioners Roberts, who also is seeking the senate seat, Jo Ealum and Jackie Sizemore voted Usry off the authority board later that year.
Usry stressed experience as a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Army and nursing home inspector in announcing he’d run for the senate seat.
“I retired in October and will be able to give senatorial duties my full attention,” Usry said in a statement. “Local concerns many times translate into having federal support, and I pledge to work closely with U.S. Sen. (Saxby) Chambliss (R-Moultrie) and U.S. Rep. (Sanford) Bishop (D- Albany) to ensure the continued growth of South Georgia.”
Usry, who lives in Smithville with his wife and raises cattle, also stated he’d oppose any efforts to “divert water resources from South Georgia to North Georgia” and mandate metro Atlanta’s total reuse of water within 15 years.
Representing a third county, Irwin, of the Senate district’s eight, Hudgins has managed the Ocilla Georgia Power office for 21 years and now supervises the company’s Ocilla, Fitzgerald, Ashburn and Moultrie service areas, he said.
Hudgins has “worked diligently on economic development for the area, and has established productive relationships with business and legislative leaders throughout the state to benefit South Georgia,” he said in a statement.
“I am deeply committed to the growth and prosperity of this area and its citizens. This area needs more businesses and industries to provide good quality jobs to help ensure solid economic growth,” Hudgins said.
He also stressed the importance of colleges and technical schools, roads and the needs of agriculture.
Hudgins said if elected, he’d retire from Georgia Power so he can devote his full attention to the senate post.
The names of all candidates who qualify next week will appear on the Republican special primary ballot Aug. 5.
Because of the timing of Carter’s announcement, his name will appear on the Republican primary ballot July 15, although voters will be advised that votes for him will not count, the secretary of state’s office has said.