Race for U.S. Congress highlights Tuesday’s runoff election

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Andrew Clyde

WHITE COUNTY, Ga. – When the polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday (Aug. 11) for the General Primary Runoff election, White County voters will vote for a U.S. Congressman from Georgia’s 9th District, state representatives from the 9th district and 10th districts and a probate court judge.

The high profile race for U.S. Congress has drawn most of the media attention and it has turned ugly in recent days. In social media and campaign flyers, State Rep. Matt Gurtler has accused his opponent, Andrew Clyde a 28-year Navy combat veteran, of being a thief, a Never Trumper, and someone who donated money to Democrats.

That kind of heated rhetoric, especially late in a campaign, tends to turn voters off. Republican Congressman Jody Hice, a member of the Freedom Caucus — the most conservative group in Washington — called Gurtler’s allegations “outright lies.” Former U.S. Congressman Paul Broun, who said he is friends with both men endorsed Clyde. “What pushed me over the top were the lies and negative campaign of (Clyde’s) opponent,” Broun said.

Opensecrets.org reports that during the last reporting period which ended June 22, Clyde had raised $775,739 in campaign funds, spent $733,041 and has a balance on hand of $42,698. Gurtler raised $655,017 and spent $571,171. His cash on hand is $83,845.

Matt Gurtler

Although White County is a Republican stronghold, Democrats will pin their hopes on either Devin Pandy or Brooke Siskin. Pandy is a 21-year Army combat veteran. Siskin will have to overcome the negative publicity that followed her arrest on contempt of court charges for which she spent four days in jail last month. The Republican and Democrat nominees will square off on Nov. 3.

The Republican runoff for State House District 9 between Will Wade, a banker and longtime member of the Dawson County Board of Education, and Steven Leibel, the personal attorney for Lumpkin County Sheriff Stacy Jarrard, was conducted in a more respectful manner.

The rhetoric did become a little heated when Leibel accused Wade of raising taxes, accepting PAC funds and not supporting the senior tax exemption. Wade called that a “inaccuracy” and added, “I am not for changing the senior exemption in this district period.”

There is no Democrat entered in that race.

In the Republican runoff for State House District 10, Victor Anderson will face Robert Crumley and in the race for Judge of Probate Court, Carol Jackson will face Don Ferguson.

The 10th State House district includes a portion of White County. Blue Creek, Mossy Creek, Mount Yonah, Nacoochee, Shoal Creek 205, 201 and White Creek precincts.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

Rick Kelley is the new sheriff in town, Ferguson, Jackson headed for runoff

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WHITE COUNTY, Ga. – After 28 years, White County is going to have a new sheriff and his name is Rick Kelley. He defeated four opponents to win the Republican Party nomination. Kelley captured 51.6 percent of the vote, eliminating the need for a runoff. He received 3,792 votes to Aaron Autry’s 2,170, who finished second.

There will be several other runoff elections on Aug. 11 where White County voters can cast a ballot. Deciding a Probate Judge to replace Garrison Baker will require a runoff between Don Ferguson who captured 3,242 votes (44.4 percent) and Carol Jackson who won 2,812 votes (38.51 percent).

State House District 10 candidates Robert Crumley and Jimmy Dean are also headed for a runoff. Crumley received 2,174 votes Tuesday (44.94 percent) to Dean’s 1,433 votes (29.62). The winner  will then face Democrat Nick Mitchell in the November General Election.

With about 97 percent of the votes counted in the U.S. House District 9 race, it appears Matt Gurtler of Tiger and Andrew Clyde survived the nine-candidate race that covers 20 counties. Gurtler won about 22.4 percent of votes cast while Clyde received 18.6 percent. The winner of that runoff will face the Democrat winner between Devin Pandy and Brooke Siskin.

In another contested race, Board of Commissioners District 1 Commissioner Terry Goodger won reelection, defeating Jerry Nicholson 1,276 to 383. Commission Chairman Travis Turner and District 4 Commissioner Craig Bryant ran unopposed.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

Georgia House Dist. 10 candidates square off in candidate forum

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qualifying

Victor Anderson

HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. – The Habersham County Farm Bureau’s 2020 Political Forum was short-lived – about 30 minutes – but it revealed significant differences between the candidates who hope to replace Terry Rogers in Georgia House District 10. Rogers announced earlier this year that he will not seek another term.

When moderator Joel Williams asked the candidates how they would improve public school education,

Robert Crumley

Republican Robert Crumley, who at the age of 24 is the youngest candidate, said, “We have got to get rid of common core.” He then quickly added “I completely support tax exemptions for home school parents and those who choose to send their children to private schools simply because they don’t want to send them to a common core curriculum.”

The other Republican candidates Victor Anderson and Jimmy Dean agreed with Democrat Nick Mitchell in their opposition to taking funds away from public schools to fund private school education.

Jimmy Dean

Dean, who is retired after 33 years of service to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, Ga., called common core a “terrible mistake” but added, “I support our public schools. I do not support taking funds away from our public schools and public school teachers.”

Anderson said, “I’m in agreement with giving parents options but those options do not need to take away from the resources allocated to our public school system.”

Nick Mitchell

Mitchell, a student worker and Chairman of the White County Democratic Committee, responded by saying, “I strongly disagree with any attempt so take funding out of our public school system and funnel it to private schools and/or charter schools. I think what the state needs to do is provide better pay for teachers.”

Other differences were revealed when Williams asked the candidates if they would commit to no tax increases during their tenure in the legislature.

Crumley was the only candidate to make such a commitment. “I will never support tax increases,” he said. “I am the only candidate up here that has taken the taxpayer protection pledge. I firmly believe that increasing the budget is not balancing the budget. I firmly believe we can relocate those funds instead of giving the burden to our citizens for our reckless spending.”

Anderson, President of Anderson Carpet One,  said, “I would definitely be opposed to tax increases in any form.” But then he added, “But to make a commitment that I would oppose any tax increase, I can’t really do that at this point. Not because I want to increase taxes but because there are questions especially coming out of the economic downturn we are in now that can’t be answered at this point.”

Dean said, “No I will not commit to that.  None of us knows what is going to be going on with this coronavirus situation. I have no intention or no desire to ever increase taxes but at the same time, we’ve got to take care of our children. We’ve got to take care of our senior citizens. We’ve got to take care of our public safety issues. We’ve got to make sure that everything that government is required to do, it has enough funding to actually do.”

Mitchell echoed Dean and Anderson in saying he would not commit to no tax increase because there is no way to predict what the state’s situation will be when it comes out of the current recession.

Early voting had started in the June 9 Presidential Preference and General Primary Election and will continue through June 5. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Election Day.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

 

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