Monday was the first day for candidates seeking offices ranging from the U.S. Senate to local school board seats, and many incumbents wasted no time in making sure their names are back on the ballot.
Primaries for local elections are set for May 24. To be on the ballot for the May 24 primary, candidates have through Friday at noon to pay a qualifying fee — typically 3 percent of the salary of the position they seek — and file the required paperwork.
Among the candidates who qualified Monday are U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson and two challengers for his seat: Republican Derrick Grayson, who works as a senior network engineer and Democrat James Knox, who works in IT, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.
Also qualifying are the three members of the U.S. House of Representatives whose districts fall in Cobb — Rep. Tom Price, R-Roswell, Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, and Rep. David Scott, D-Riverdale — and most incumbent state lawmakers representing Cobb, all of whom are up for re-election.
Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee and Commissioner Bob Ott, of East Cobb, also qualified Monday.
Georgia Political Candidates Who Qualified the First Day
U.S. Senate
♦ Johnny Isakson, Republican (I)
♦ Derick Grayson, Republican
♦ James Knox, Democrat
U.S. House of Representatives
♦ Tom Price, Republican, District 6 (I)
♦ Barry Loudermilk, Republican, District 11 (I)
♦ Hayden Collin, Republican, District 11
♦ David Scott, Democrat, District 13 (I)
State Senate
♦ Hunter Hill, Republican, District 6 (I)
♦ Judson Hill, Republican, District 32 (I)
♦ Michael Rhett, Democrat, District 33 (I)
♦ Lindsey Tippins, Republican, District 37 (I)
♦ Horacena Tate, Democrat, District 38 (I)
State House of Representatives
♦ Bert Reeves, Republican, District 34 (I)
♦ Christopher Lowe, Republican, District 34
♦ Ed Setzler, Republican, District 35 (I)
♦ Earl Ehrhart, Republican, District 36 (I)
♦ Sam Teasley, Republican, District 37 (I)
♦ David Wilkerson, Democrat, District 38 (I)
♦ Connie Taylor, Democrat, District 38
♦ Rich Golick, Republican, District 40 (I)
♦ Stacey Evans, Democrat, District 42 (I)
♦ Sharon Cooper, Republican, District 43 (I)
♦ Don Parson, Republican, District 44 (I)
♦ Matt Dollar, Republican, District 45 (I)
♦ John Carson, Republican, District 46 (I)
♦ Sheila Jones, Democrat, District 53 (I)
♦ Roger Bruce, Democrat, District 61 (I)
Commission Chairman
♦ Tim Lee, Republican (I)
Commissioner, District 2
♦ Bob Ott, Republican (I)
Cobb Superior Court Judges
♦ Chuck Bachman, seeking seat of Judge Adele Grubbs, who is retiring
♦ Grady A. Moore, also seeking Grubbs’ seat
♦ Mary Staley (I)
♦ Gregory Poole (I)
♦ Stephen Schuster (I)
♦ S. Lark Ingram (I)
♦ Reuben Green (I)
♦ Nathan Wade, challenging Green
Cobb State Court Judges
♦ Allison Barnes Salter, Division 1, Post 1
♦ Maria Golick, Division 1, Post 2 (I)
♦ Kellie Hill, Division 1, Post 3
♦ Luke Lantta, Division 1, Post 3
♦ John Morgan, Division 1, Post 3
♦ Brendan Murphy, Division 1, Post 4
♦ Aaron Strimban, Division 1, Post 4
♦ Toby Prodgers, Division 1, Post 6 (I)
♦ Marsha Lake, Division 2, Post 2 (I)
♦ Eric Brewton, Division 2, Post 5 (I)
Chief Magistrate Judge
♦ Joyette Holmes, Republican (I)
Probate Judge
♦ Kellie Wolk, Republican (I)
Clerk of State Court
♦ Angie Davis, Republican (I)
Clerk of Superior Court
♦ Rebecca Keaton, Republican (I)
Cobb County Board of Education
♦ Randy Scamihorn, Republican, Post 1 (I)
♦ David Banks, Republican, Post 5 (I)
♦ Brad Wheeler, Republican, Post 7 (I)
Tax Commissioner
♦ Carla Jackson, Republican (I)
Surveyor
♦ Donald Perryman, Republican (I)
Sources: Georgia Secretary of State, Cobb Board of Elections
Story by Ricky Leroux. Reprinted from The Marietta Daily Journal, March 7, 2016.
