Six qualify to run for D4 and D5 commission seats

Mar. 8—Qualifying for local and state elected offices for the May 21 Republican and Democratic primaries ended at noon Friday with a host of newcomers seeking elected office in Baldwin County.

Baldwin County Commission

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises is that there are six Republican candidates vying for two seats on the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners.

During Tuesday night's commission meeting, District 4 Commissioner Henry R. Craig announced that he intends to retire and not seek re-election. Craig, who is the current president of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG), has served as a county commissioner for 11 years.

Three candidates, all running as Republicans, have officially qualified to seek that open seat — Carol Ballew, Andrew Strickland and Jay Wright Jr.. All three candidates are political newcomers.

In the District 5 commission race, a pair of political newcomers will challenge incumbent Commissioner Johnny Westmoreland — Scott Little and Pam Peacock.

Westmoreland is chairman of the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners.

Longtime District 3 Commissioner Sammy Hall, who also qualified as a Republican, faces no opposition in the May 21 primary.

Baldwin County Solicitor General Skye Gess, another Republican candidate, will seek re-election to another term in office without facing opposition, as will Baldwin County Surveyor James E. Smith Jr., another Republican.

On the Democratic side, four incumbent elected office holders are seeking re-election: District 1 Commissioner Emily C. Davis; District 2 Commissioner Kendrick Butts; Chief Magistrate Shane M. Geeter; and Coroner John Gonzalez.

Three of the county's four constitutionally-elected officials will seek office for another four years as independents: Sheriff Bill Massee Jr., who qualified to seek his 10th term; Tax Commissioner Cathy Freeman Settle; and Clerk of Superior Court Wanda T. Paul, who earlier this year was appointed to that position. Paul is seeking her first four-year term.

All three of the independent candidates are running unopposed.

Probate Judge Todd A. Blackwell is also seeking another four-year term. That office is nonpartisan.

Baldwin County Board of Education

Other nonpartisan candidates in the upcoming election include two of three members on the Baldwin County Board of Education: District 2 BOE member Shannon D. Hill; and District 4 BOE member John Noah Jackson III.

Hill and Jackson will face no opposition.

Longtime District 3 BOE member Lyn Chandler will not seek re-election.

Two candidates qualified for the District 3 seat on the board of education on Friday: Dylan Amerson and Beverly Rayford, both political newcomers.

The only other non-partisan officeholder is Piedmont Soil and Water District Supervisor Emory "Al" Burgamy, who will seek re-election to another term.

State offices

Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney T. Wright Barksdale III qualified to seek re-election as a Republican.

At least four other candidates — three of whom are incumbents — also have qualified to seek public office for another term: state Sen. Rick Williams (R-Milledgeville); state Rep. Ken Vance (R-Milledgeville); and state Rep. Mack Jackson (D-Sandersville).

Former state Sen. Floyd L. Griffin Jr. qualified to seek election to the newly-created state representative seat. Griffin will be challenging Vance, who is considered the incumbent in the new House of Representatives district.

The chairpersons of both the Republican and Democratic parties in Baldwin County attended an official meeting Friday afternoon where they signed documents presented to them and other respective members of their political parties by Probate Judge Blackwell, who also serves as the county's election superintendent. The two chairpersons of the parties are Janice Westmoreland and Quentin T. Howell.