The 2012 election has officially begun. About 57 candidates qualified by noon Friday for partisan and non-partisan local county races, state house and senate seats and the U.S. Congressional seat that covers Rockdale and Newton counties.
There are no uncontested local partisan races this year; every seat will face competition, if not in the primaries then in the general election.
Most of the five non-partisan school board seats up for election face much competition. Long-time Board of Education incumbent members Darlene Hotchkiss and Jean Yontz and one-term member Donald McKinney declined to run for re-election.
Yontz cited several personal issues, including caring for her 91 year old mother as well as running her business, Glenn’s Bar-b-que. “It was an extremely difficult decision for me,” she said. But Yontz said that she won’t back away from this political season and will be out supporting her favorite candidates.
July 31 will be key for the six state House seats in Rockdale’s delegation, with primary challengers in each seat except District 91, held by Dee Dawkins-Haigler. Former state Rep. Toney Collins jumps back into the spotlight in the race for District 113. Former politicians and previously unsuccessful candidates turned out for the District 92 race, which has no incumbent; candidates include Kathy Harvey, who ran unsuccessfully ran for Conyers mayor, Sherri Washington, who ran unsuccessfully for former District 94, former Lithonia mayor Tonya P. Anderson, former Lithonia city council member Doreen Carter, and educator Doreen Williams.
The Fourth Congressional District will be one to watch as two Democrats and two Republicans try to unseat incumbent Democrat Rep. Hank Johnson this fall.
The general election for the Rockdale Superior Court Judge, State Court Judge and Board of Education races will be held on July 31.
Primaries for partisan races will be held on July 31 as well and include Commission Chair and Post I Commissioner, Sheriff, Tax Commissioner, Coroner, Clerk of Courts, Chief Magistrate Judge, Probate Judge, as well as state House and Senate districts, and the U.S. District 4 Congressional seat.
The general election for all partisan races and the U.S. President will be held on November 6.
Candidates listed in alphabetical order within party. Party listed in alphabetical order
Partisan local candidates:
Commission Chair:
Brian Jenkins (D)
Richard Oden (D)- INCUMBENT
Jason Hill (R)- Business Owner
Commissioner Post 1:
Oz Nesbitt, Jr. (D)- Car Sales INCUMBENT
Jerry Shepperd (D)- Business Owner
Tom Harrison (R)- Business Owner
Sam Smiley (R)- Business Owner
Sheriff:
Donald Ferguson (D) - retired captain deputy
Eric Levett (D)- Deputy
T. Jeff Wigington (R)- INCUMBENT
Tax Commissioner:
RJ Hadley (D)- Non-profit Manager
Daniel Ray (R)- INCUMBENT
Coroner:
George Levett (D)- Funeral Home Director
Jo Coggins (R)- Medical Clerk/Deputy Coroner
Clerk of Superior and State Courts:
Ruth A. Wilson (D)- INCUMBENT
Holly Bowie (R)- Paralegal
Magistrate Court Chief Judge:
Phinia Aten (D)- Attorney
Clarence "Rudy" Horne, Jr. (R)- INCUMBENT
Probate Court Judge:
Caycie Dix (D)- Attorney
Charles Mays, Sr. (D)- Contractor
Lillis Brown (R)- INCUMBENT
Nonpartisan local candidates:
Rockdale County State Court Judge:
Nancy Bills - Attorney/Judge
Rockdale County Superior Court Judge:
Robert Mumford - Attorney
Gary Washington - Attorney
Earnelle Winfrey - Attorney
Rockdale County Board of Education:
Post 1:
Charcella C. Green - Professor/Consultant
Mandy North - Certified Public Accountant
Post 2:
Kimberly Baker - Director
Patrick S. Coppock - Professor
Bradley D. Smith - Business Owner/ Fireman (Incumbent)
Timothy D. Williams - Marketing Consultant
Post 3:
Wales F. Barksdale- Attorney INCUMBENT
Post 4:
Sharon Pharr- Credit Manager
Darrel L. Stephens- Educator
Post 5:
Cornell Brown - contract specialist (GDOL)
Tony Dowdy - salesman
Rodney J. Fanner - engineer
Willie J. Washington - retired military/business owner
State and Federal candidates:
State Senate
District 17:
Nelva Lee (D)- President MITIo Institute
Rick Jeffares (R)- Business Owner/Project Manager INCUMBENT
District 43:
Ronald Ramsey (D)- Attorney INCUMBENT
State House
District 90:
Pamela Stephenson (D)- Attorney INCUMBENT
Scott Hughes (D)- Healthcare Administration
District 91:
Dee Dawkins Haigler (D) INCUMBENT
District 92:
Tonya P. Anderson (D) – Consultant and Pastor
Doreen Carter (D)- Accountant
Kathy L. Harvey (D)- Minister/Counselor and Consultant
Sherri Washington (D)- Attorney
Doreen Williams (D)- Educator
District 109:
Steve Davis (R)- Real Estate Broker INCUMBENT
Dale Rutledge (R)- Business Owner
District 113:
Pamela Dickerson (D)- Business Owner INCUMBENT
Sharon Sawyer (D)- Financial Analyst
Toney Collins (D)- Engineer
District 114:
Tom Kirby (R)- Human Resource Safety Consultant INCUMBENT
Rodney Upton (R)- Contractor
U.S. Congress:
District 4:
Courtney Dillard (D)- Real Estate Developer/Minister
Hank Johnson (D)- Attorney INCUMBENT
Lincoln Nunnally (D)- Consultant
Greg Pallen (R)- President/CEO
J. Chris Vaughn (R)- Minister
