Suspended senator qualifies to seek election to his old seat

ATLANTA - A Democratic state senator who is under indictment and has been suspended from his legislative duties qualified Wednesday to make another run for his south Georgia Senate seat. <br> <br> Senate Secretary Frank Eldridge said Senator Van Streat, a Democrat from Nicholls, came to the qualifying desk at the Capitol with his lawyer, and was permitted to pay the fee to get on the primary ballot. <br> <br> Streat was suspended by Governor Barnes in February upon the recommendation of a special committee, following his indictment on charges he sought to influence the transfer of a prisoner in exchange for money from the prisoner&#39;s associates. <br> <br> Streat contends he did not violate the law. <br> <br> The suspension applied only to his current term, which ends in January. <br> <br> Government lawyers said there is no law barring Streat from qualifying for election, but they said if Streat wins, the law permits the governor to convene a new committee to determine if a suspension from the new term is warranted. <br> <br> Also seeking election in that district, the 19th, is Republican Senator Tommie Williams of Lyons. <br> <br> Senate districts were drastically reconfigured under the state&#39;s latest redistricting plan.