Hall state legislators qualify to run for re-election

GAINESVILLE - Each member of the Hall County state legislative delegation qualified Monday to seek re-election this year, according to county Republican Party Chairman Paul Stanley.

Qualifying opened Monday morning and it was a busy day at Stanley's office.

It was a not so busy day at the Hall County Elections and Voter Registration office on Browns Bridge Road, where qualifying was set up for Democrats. Elections Director and Chief Registrar Charlotte Sosebee-Hunter said no candidates showed up during the first hour to pay their fees and sign up for a primary race.

Hunter said later in the morning attorney Ashley Bell qualified to run for District 4 Hall County Commission, now held by Deborah Mack.

Stanley said Hall County State Court Solicitor Larry Baldwin was waiting at the door a half hour before qualifying officially began at 9 a.m.

By 10:50, also paying their fees and signing up were Sheriff Steve Cronic; District 2 County Commissioner Billy Powell; Chief Magistrate Margaret Gregory; Chris Masters, who plans to run for Powell's County Commission seat; and Dan Sammons, who is running for Probate Judge. In addition, J.C. Smith had qualified to run for Clerk of Court.

Stanley said Masters resigned as Hall County Republican Party 1st Vice Chairman in order to make the County Commission race.

Monday afternoon, County Commission Chairman Tom Oliver qualified to seek re-election, as did Nath Morris, the incumbent District 4 member of the Hall County Board of Education.

OTHER QUALIFYING

In Atlanta by mid-afternoon, two northeast Georgia congressmen, the Ninth District's Nathan Deal and the Tenth District's Paul Broun had qualified to seek re-election. Both are Republicans. Barry Fleming of Augusta qualified for the GOP Primary, as well, and a Democrat - Bobby Saxon of Nicholson - had also signed up to run for Broun's seat.

In addition, state Reps. Carl Rogers and Tommy Benton, both Republicans and members of the Hall County state legislative delegation, qualified for re-election.

Stanley reported late in the day that other members of the delegation - State Reps. James Mills and Doug Collins and State Sen. Lee Hawkins - had also qualified.

Others qualifying for state House and Senate posts in northeast Georgia included: Republican Michael Harden of Toccoa for state House District 28, the post now held by Democrat Jeanette Jamieson; Rep. Bobby Reese of Sugar Hill and David Hancock of Suwanee, both Republicans, for the House District 98 seat; Rep. Terry England of Auburn for House District 108; Republican state Sen. Chip Pearson of Dawsonville, Senate District 51; Republican state Sen. Renee Unterman of Buford, Senate District 45; Terry Rogers of Dawsonville, Republican, for the 50th state Senate seat; and state Sen. Jack Murphy of Cumming, Republican, for state Senate District 27.

Brian Rickman of Tiger qualified to run as a Republican for District Attorney in the Mountain Judicial Circuit and incumbents Rick Bridgeman and Brad Smith, both Republicans and both from Hoschton, qualified for the D.A.'s post in the Piedmont Judicial Circuit.

The deadline for voter registration for the July 15 primaries is June 16.

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On the Net:

Hall Republican qualifying...

epaulstanley.com

Georgia Secretary of State's Office (Statewide offices, U.S. Congress, Georgia General Assembly, District Attorneys) http://www.sos.georgia.gov