Four seats, two for the Brantley County Board of Commissioners and two for the Brantley County Board of Education, will be contested in the Tuesday, May 19 primaries.
Post 4 and Post 5 are up for election on the Board of Commissioners. Post 4 long-time Commissioner Brian Hendrix is not seeking another term.
Five people qualified to fill Hendrix’s seat. The list includes John Thompson, James Duncan, former commissioner Ray Griffin, Mathew McGrath and Justin Bowers.
Post 5 incumbent Commissioner Andy Riggins is seeking a second term. He is being challenged by Whitney Schrack and J.T. Flanders.
Post 2 and Post 4 are being contested for Board of Education seats. Post 2 incumbent Kathy Hendrix is being challenged by Lynn Daniels.
The Post 4 seat was vacated last year when Cliff Adams resigned with four vying to fill the void. Former board member Brenda Johns, retired educators Richard Gill and Teri Gibson, along with Kalyn Gilleon are the candidates.
Friday (March 6) was the deadline for candidates to submit their qualification documents.
Also, candidates in Georgia’s governor and U.S. Senate races have begun the two-month sprint to the May 19 primaries. Those names will be on the ballot in May for some of the Peach State’s crucial races.
With Gov. Brian Kemp limited to two terms, the governor’s mansion is open, and Democrats are hoping that their recent statewide wins in the Public Service Commission races could mean a chance to take the state’s top position.
Many high-profile state Republicans want to succeed Kemp, though the governor hasn’t said who he’d like to take his place.
In the Senate race, three Republicans are battling for the chance to face Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running unopposed with a large fundraising chest prepared for the general election.
On the Republican side of the gubernatorial race, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr have traded blows over campaign financing and support for President Trump.
On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is regarded by many as the front-runner among the eight Democrats running for governor. She faces a crowded field of state and local politicians, which includes former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party after siding with Kemp to certify Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results.
With no Democratic challengers to John Ossoff, Republicans are competing against themselves for the chance to challenge him in November.
Each of Georgia’s three main Republican contenders — Rep. Mike Collins, Rep. Buddy Carter, and former football coach Derek Dooley — has positioned himself as the best person.
