More than 900 votes have been cast for the May 19 primary election that will decide who will serve on the Putnam County Board of Commissioners, along with statewide races.
The Putnam County Board of Elections and Registration reports 937 early voters as of May 4, while 120 absentee ballots have been issued and 40 returned, meaning 4.75% of registered voters have already made their decisions.
Voters must choose either a Republican or a Democratic ballot to vote in the primaries. Should there be a runoff, voters must cast ballots in the same party primary. Anyone who does not vote in the primary may choose either ballot for a runoff.
Running unopposed are BOE District 1 member Doris J. Clemons, BOE District 2 member Simone N. Jones, State Court Judge Michael Gailey, Magistrate Court Judge Christyne T. Holmes, and Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor Heck Davis.
Early voting is available daily, excluding Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through May 15 at 117 Putnam Dr., Suite D.
Board of Commissioners
Chairman Bill Sharp is not seeking re-election, leaving the seat open for Republican challengers Charles Gray and Stephen Hersey. Lenwood Pickens has also qualified as an independent candidate, pending the required signatures.
Currently representing District 3 on the BOC, Hersey previously served six years as county commission chairman and nine years as school board chairman, according to his website.
Hersey says he intends to end the “bait and switch” when it comes to rezoning, stop commercial invasion, and focus on fiscal responsibility.
Gray also has experience in Putnam County leadership, currently serving as chairman of the Planning & Zoning Commission.
According to Gray’s campaign Facebook page, he also seeks to be fiscally responsible while promoting transparency and accountability in Putnam County.
Pickens is a native of Eatonton, having graduated from Gatewood Schools in 2001. He has been employed by the Eatonton Police Department since 2006 and is also an insurance agent for Georgia Farm Bureau.
BOC District 3
With sitting commissioner Hersey running for chairman, the District 3 seat on the BOC is up for grabs. Three Republicans have qualified for the race, leading to a possible June 16 runoff: George W. Hooker, Erin Olson, and William Vargo.
According to his campaign Facebook page, Hooker is a retired police officer and EMT with more than 20 years of experience. Crowe Marine currently employs him as its parts manager, a position he has held for nearly 25 years.
Olson has been vocal as a co-founder of the “Taxpayer’s Watchdog Group - Putnam County” Facebook page, which has taken stances against the proposed rock quarry and a tax abatement deal for a residential development near Harmony Crossing.
According to her campaign Facebook page, Olson wants to focus on real job creation, smart managed growth, strategic partnerships, and honest, transparent leadership.
Vargo is a retired farmer, according to his campaign page, and also serves as CEO and president of V&R Trucking. According to recent ads, Vargo wants to focus on lowering taxes, preserving farmland, and attracting jobs without handlers or affiliations.
BOC District 4
This race also features two Republican candidates and an independent. Commissioner Jeff Wooten is not running for re-election, setting the stage for a race between Grady Paul Gardner and Jennifer Ray for the Republican nomination, along with independent candidate Michael B. Griffin.
According to his campaign page, Gardner served in the United States Navy in 1979, where he began a career in engineering before owning his own business. He emphasizes that “integrity comes from within” and vows to think independently.
Ray is also a co-founder of the Taxpayers’ Watchdog Group on Facebook and says she plans not just to observe issues “but stand up for you and your wallet.”
Her campaign website describes her as “a customer solutions specialist for a Fortune 100 company, managing multimillion-dollar portfolios for major big-box and regional retailers.”
Griffin describes himself as a business leader with more than 18 years of experience. He promises to “calmly consider all the facts, treat others with dignity, even in disagreement, and listen.”
Candidates for Higher Office
For U.S. Senate, Republicans have five candidates — Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, John F. Coyne III, Derek Dooley, and Jonathan McColumn. They will face off in the primary and possibly a runoff to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Putnam County is currently represented in Congressional District 10 by Collins, leaving the race open for new candidates.
Six candidates have qualified for the seat, including three from each party.
The Democratic candidates are Pam Delancy, Lexy Doherty, and John Dority, while Republicans may choose from Jeff Baker, Houston Gaines, or Ryan Millsap.
Republicans have eight candidates for governor to replace term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp. Those candidates are Chris Carr, Clark Dean, Rick Jackson, Burt Jones, Gregg Kirkpatrick, Brad Raffensperger, Tom Williams, and Ken Yasger.
Democrats have seven candidates for governor, including former City of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Olu Brown, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, Derrick Jackson, and Mike Thurmond.
Duncan may be among the more surprising candidates, as he most recently served as the Republican lieutenant governor before Burt Jones.
Duncan did not seek re-election and later parted ways with the Republican Party. He came under fire from members of his own party in 2020 for not doing more to challenge the results of the presidential election. Raffensperger, still running as a Republican, joined Kemp, Sterling, Duncan, and others in standing up for Georgia’s election results.
For lieutenant governor to succeed Jones, Republicans have seven candidates: David Clark, Greg Dolezal, Steve Gooch, John F. Kennedy, Brenda Lynn Nelson-Porter, Takosha Swan, and Blake Tillery.
Democrats may choose from Josh McLaurin, Nabilah Parkes, and Richard N. Wright.
Georgia General Assembly
District 25 State Sen. Rick Williams has no opposition for his seat and will continue to represent the district.
In Georgia House District 124, each party has one candidate, so there will be no primary contest. Democrat Melanie Miller of White Plains is challenging incumbent Trey Rhodes of Greensboro.
For District 145, no Democrat qualified, leading to the re-election of Dale Washburn, a Republican of Macon.
For more information about the election, call 706-485-8683 or visit the Putnam County Board of Elections and Registration.