Candidates qualify for 2018 Election

BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – Qualifying week has officially closed in the state of Georgia. Candidates made their intentions known as they filed in to get their names on the May General Primary ballot.

Statewide, Georgia has many seats up for grabs in the November General Election, including that of governor, which is currently held by Nathan Deal. Also being watched closely is the House of Representatives District 7 seat, which is currently held by Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives David Ralston.

Locally, in Fannin County, three races are taking shape as candidates qualified to run for Fannin County Post 2 Commissioner and two of the five seats with the Fannin County Board of Education.

FANNIN COUNTY POST 2 COMMISSIONER

The seat of Fannin County Post 2 Commissioner has been held by Incumbent Larry Joe Sosebee since 2011. Sosebee will be seeking a third term in office.

Dixie Carter qualified to run on the Democratic ballot for the seat of Fannin County Post 2 Commissioner. Carter will run unopposed as a Democrat and will automatically advance forward to the General Election taking place Nov. 6, 2018.

Qualifiers on the Republican ballot for the seat of Post 2 Commissioner include incumbent Larry Joe Sosebee, and challengers Glenn Patterson and William “Tripp” Ritchie.

 

 

FANNIN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

The Fannin County Board of Education (BOE) has two seats currently up for election in 2018.

The first of the two seats is held by incumbent Bobby Bearden. Bearden has been a member of the BOE for 16 years and is seeking another four-year term.

The second of the two seats being sought after on the BOE is currently held by incumbent Steve Stanley. Stanley has held a seat on the BOE for eight years.

Jeff DePaola has qualified on the Democratic ballot to run for the BOE seat currently held by Bearden. DePaola faces no other Democratic challengers and will automatically advance to the November General Election.

Incumbent Bearden will face a challenger, Marvin Allen, for the Republican nomination in the May General Primary.

 

Susan DeMoura qualified on the Democratic ballot to run for the BOE seat currently held by Stanley. With no other Democratic challengers in this race, DeMoura will automatically advance to the November General Election.

Incumbent Stanley will face three challengers for the Republican nomination on the May General Primary ballot. These Republican challengers are Mike Cole, Mike Sullivan and Ron Bolin.

 

 

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 7

The House of Representatives District 7 seat has caused much discussion since Margaret Williamson announced her intentions to run against Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives David Ralston.

Ralston was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2002 and represents House District 7, which includes Fannin County, Gilmer County and a portion of Dawson County. Ralston is the 73rd Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, a position he has held since 2010.

Both incumbent Ralston and challenger Williamson have qualified to run for the Republican nomination on the May General Primary.

 

Democrat Rick Day has qualified and is running unopposed. Day will advance to the November General Primary and face off against either Williamson or Ralston for the seat of Georgia House of Representatives District 7.

GEORGIA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Georgia’s lieutenant governor is currently held by Casey Cagle. Cagle will not be seeking re-election for this seat as he has announced his intent to run in the Georgia governor race.

On the Democratic ballot in the May General Primary, voters will see Sarah Amico and Triana James run for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in the November General Primary.

 

David Shafer, Geoff Duncan, and Rick Jaffares will face each other for the Republican nomination in the race for Georgia’s lieutenant governor.

 

 

GEORGIA GOVERNOR

The Georgia governor seat, currently held by Governor Nathan Deal, will be open without an incumbent.

Deal was first elected in 2010 and has served two consecutive four-year terms. According to Georgia state law, this seat is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms.

Governor Deal has met the term limit criteria and will be ineligible to seek a third term in 2018.

The Democratic Party will have two candidates to choose from in the May General Primary.  Stacey Abrams and Stacey Evans both qualified this week in hopes of seeking the Democratic nomination.

 

Brian Kemp, Clay Tippins, Eddie Hayes, Hunter Hill, Casey Cagle, Marc Urbach, and Michael Williams will seek the Republican nomination in the May General Primary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 9

The United States Representative District 9 seat is currently held by Doug Collins. Collins has served as a U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 9th Congressional District since 2013.

Collins will run on the Republican ballot unopposed and advance straight to the Nov. General Primary.

Dave Cooper and Josh McCall will be seen on the May General Primary in hopes of winning the Democratic nomination. The winner of this primary election will face Collins in the General Election.

 

 

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