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Qualifying ends
With qualifying at an end, Wayne County has four local races set for elections this year.
Sheriff Chuck Moseley has drawn two challengers in the May 21 Republican Primary: Emergency Management Agency Director Donnie Ray and Toby Cameron.
In the only other countywide race, Ridge Shefka is running against incumbent Jay Fulton for coroner in the GOP Primary.
Voters in District 5 will also have choices for both county commissioner and school board member.
In the May 21 Nonpartisan General Election, Tommie Weatherspoon Jr. is challenging Tina Moseley for her Board of Education seat.
And with Princess Ndow qualified as a Democrat and Randy Franks as a Republican, the county won’t know the results of the District 5 race for the County Board of Commissioners until the Nov. 5 General Election. (Incumbent Jamie Hickox Is not running for re-election.)
Aside from contested seats, local elected offices will see some new faces next year.
Allyson O’Quinn Harnage is the only candidate for tax commissioner, set to succeed Denise Griffis, who is not running again. And Hope Cunningham is the only candidate for probate judge, on track to take over for Tammy Thornton, who is retiring. Both of the candidates already work in the offices they are scheduled to head next year.
With Kenneth Carswell not running again, County Attorney Andy Beaver is the only candidate for state court solicitor.
Finally, Cary “Tater” Yarbrough faces no opposition to succeed Joe McPipkin in the District 1 seat on the school board.
Incumbents who have signed up to run for re-election without opposition include State Court Judge Vi Bennett, Chief Magistrate Gary Browning, Clerk of Court Frances Yeargan, District 1 County Commissioner Mike Gordon, District 3 County Commissioner Tim Hopkins and District 3 Board of Education member Todd Wise.
Gordon, Hopkins and Harnage are running as Republicans; all of the other candidates cited without a party are running for nonpartisan offices.
Beyond Wayne County
In regard to positions that encompass more than Wayne County, former chief assistant district attorney John Johnson of Wayne County is challenging incumbent Keith Higgins for Brunswick Judicial Circuit district attorney in the Republican Primary.
For other positions that represent Wayne County, Glynn County artist Rebekah Moore has qualified as a Democrat for House District 167. She will face Republican incumbent Buddy DeLoach in November.
State Rep. Stephen Meeks and State Sen. Blake Tillery have also qualified to run for re-election, both as Republicans
At the federal level, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter has qualified to run for re-election in the Republican Primary.
For district superior court judgeships, Bert Guy, Anthony Harrison, Stephen Kelly and Stephen Scarlett have all qualified to run for re-election.
For statewide judicial office, former U.S. representative John Barrow has qualified to challenge Andrew Vinson for Supreme Court justice. Other Supreme Court justices who have qualified to run for re-election include Michael Boggs, John Ellington and Nels Peterson.
For the Georgia Court of Appeals, Jeff Davis and Tabitha Ponder have qualified to run to succeed Yvette Miller. Other Court of Appeals judges who have qualified to run for re-election include Stephen Dillard, Ken Hodges, Ben Land, Amanda Mercier, Brian Rickman and Jeffrey Watkins.
All of the judicial positions are nonpartisan.