Unable to run for re-election due to Republican redistricting, Athens-Clarke Commissioner Russell Edwards will run for Public Service Commission instead.
Edwards qualified Friday to challenge incumbent Republican Tim Echols of Hoschton. Another Democrat, Patty Durand, also qualified, but she is not in the district under a new map Republicans recently passed. PSC members represent a district but are elected statewide. The five-member board regulates Georgia Power and other utilities.
In other news, ACC Solicitor General C.R. Chisholm is apparently stepping down. Chisholm did not qualify to run for a fifth term. Chief Assistant Solicitor Will Fleenor was the only candidate to qualify. The solicitor’s office prosecutes misdemeanors.
Other late entrants include retiree Bennie Coleman III for mayor, barber Deston Bernard Anderson for school board District 5 and software engineer Femi Oduwole in the Democratic primary for the 10th Congressional District.
One candidate, Robert Finch in Commission District 3, withdrew from the race Friday.
With the qualifying period now over, here’s a recap of who has qualified to run for local offices:
Athens-Clarke County Mayor: Kelly Girtz*, Pearl Hall, Fred Moorman, Mykeisha R. Ross, Mara Zuniga, Bennie Coleman III
Commissioner District 1: Patrick Davenport*, Audrey Hughes
Commission District 3: Tiffany S. Taylor, Asia Thomas
Commission District 5: Jared Bailey, Dexter Fisher, Matt Pulver
Commission District 7: Allen Jones, John Culpepper
Commission District 9: Ovita Thornton*
BOE District 1: Heidi Hensley, James Alexander
BOE District 3: Linda Davis*
BOE District 5: Tim Denson, Deston Bernard Anderson
BOE District 7: LaKeisha Gantt*
BOE District 9: Elder Johnson IV, Mark Evans
Solicitor General: Will Fleenor
State Senate District 46: Bill Cowsert (R)*, Andrew Ferguson
State Senate District 47: Frank Ginn (R)*, Charlie Chase (R), Ross Harvin (R), Conolus Scott Jr. (D)
State House District 120: Houston Gaines (R)*, Mokah Jasmine Johnson (D)
State House District 121: Marcus Wiedower (R)*, Jeff Auerbach (D)
State House District 122: Spencer Frye (D)*
State House District 124: Trey Rhodes (R)*, Kat Howkins (D)
10th Congressional District: Timothy Barr (R), Paul Broun (R), Mike Collins (R), David Curry (R), Vernon Jones (R), Mark McMain (R), Mitchell Swann (R), Alan Sims (R), Phyllis Hatcher (D), Tabitha Johnson-Green (D), Paul Walton (D). Jessica Fore (D), Femi Oduwole (D)
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