Local races contested
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File photo/Megan Horn/The Clayton Tribune
A slate of candidates qualified during a five-day period for local, state and federal races in the May 21 General Primary/Nonpartisan Election.
Qualifying ended at noon on Friday, March 8.
Races for Rabun County Sheriff, Clerk of Superior Court, County Commissioner Post 1, and County Commissioner Post 2 are contested locally – some on Republican and Democrat tickets.
Elections and Voter Registration Director Tammy Whitmire said that in the General Primary/Nonpartisan Election, voters will select from either a Republican, Democrat or Nonpartisan ballot at the polls. Whitmire clarified the Nonpartisan ballot candidates also will appear on both partisan ballots.
Since the General Primary is partisan, any candidates running as Independents only appear on the Nov. 5 General Election ballot. Candidates who qualified for the Nonpartisan race for Blue Ridge Mountain Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor will also only be on the Nov. 5 General Election ballot.
Whitmire said that even though the candidates appear only on the November ballot, they were required to qualify in March.
May 21, 2024 General Primary/NonPartisan Election
Contested races
For Sheriff:
As far as contested races, incumbent Chad K. Nichols will run against Marty Talley and Mark Anthony Gerrells for Sheriff as Republicans. The sheriff’s race has no Democrat or Independent opposition.
For Clerk of Superior Court:
The seat for Clerk of Superior Court has incumbent Holly E. Henry-Perry running against challenger Lauren James Messer in the Republican race. There is neither Democratic nor Independent opposition.
For County Commissioner, Post 1:
Incumbent Will H. Nichols qualified for County Commissioner, Post 1, faces Roger A. Glenn in the Republican Primary. The seat also has Democratic opposition from Maria Loveless, who will appear on the Democratic primary ballot and will face the Republican Primary winner in the Nov. 5 election.
For County Commissioner, Post 2:
Incumbent County Commissioner for Post 2 Tom Garrison will be opposed by Faron Welch who also qualified as a Republican for the seat. There is no Democrat opposition. The winner in the Republican race will face Ara E. Joyce, who qualified as an Independent, in the Nov. 5 election. Because Joyce qualified as an Independent, she will not be listed on the ballot in May and will only be shown on the November ballot.
Uncontested partisan races
Republican incumbent George R. Christian, who qualified as District Attorney for the Mountain Judicial Circuit, will face no opposition.
Also on the Republican ticket, and with no Democratic or Independent opposition, incumbent Samuel R. Beck qualified for Coroner; incumbent Lawrence Allyn Stockton, Jr. qualified for County Board of Education, Post 2; incumbent Steven R. Cabe qualified for County Board of Education, Post 4; incumbent Molly Lima qualified for County Board of Education, Post 5; and incumbent Claude Gregory James qualified for County Commissioner, Post 3.
Current Republican Tax Commissioner Lauren N. Benfield qualified as the incumbent and Republican incumbent Jonathan Rolader qualified for Surveyor. Both Benfield and Rolader have no opposition.
Nonpartisan Party
For Judge of Court of Appeals (Rickman), incumbent Brian M. Rickman qualified. Incumbent Carlton H. (Hobie) Jones, III qualified for Probate Court Judge. The Nonpartisan candidates will appear on any of the ballots voters may choose in May.
State contested race
On the state level, incumbent Republican Victor Anderson qualified for State House Representative, District 10. No other Republicans qualified but Anderson will face Democrat qualifier Paulette Williams, who is on the Democratic primary ballot, in November.
Republican incumbent Bo Hatchett qualified for State Senate, District 50. No other Republicans qualified, but Hatchett will face Democratic qualifier June Krise in November. Krise will be on the Democratic primary ballot in May.
Federal contested races
As for the federal level, incumbent Andrew Clyde was the lone qualifier for the Republican Party for District 9. Qualifying as a Democrat was Tambrei Cash. Clyde and Cash will face each other in November.
November 5 General Election
Independent candidate Ara E. Joyce qualified for County Commissioner-Post 2 and will face the winner of the Republican primary race in November.
Candidates who qualified in the Nonpartisan race for Blue Ridge Mountain Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor are C.Wayne Swanson and Cherie S. Faircloth. They will appear on the ballot in November.
All persons not registered to vote and who desire to register to vote in the General Primary Election in May may register to vote through the close of business on April 22, Whitmire said.
Advanced voting for the General Primary/NonPartisan Election will be held April 29-May 17.
Locals can request absentee ballots between March 4 and May 10 with ballots being mailed out beginning April 22. Those overseas can now request absentee ballots until May 10 and those ballots will begin being mailed out April 2.
Election Day for the General Primary/Nonpartisan Election is May 21 with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For additional information, visit https://rabuncounty.ga.gov/elections about the Rabun County Elections Office; the Georgia My Voter Page at https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/; and the Georgia Secretary of State website at https://sos.ga.gov.