Two longtime courthouse employees are running for clerk of Superior Court in a special election this November, and Winterville Mayor Dodd Ferrelle is unopposed as he seeks a third term.
Elisa Zarate—the interim clerk of court appointed by Probate Court Judge Susan Schaffer after Bevery Logan retired mid-term—is seeking to fill the rest of Logan’s term. She’ll be opposed by Andrew Griffeth, who has worked in the clerk’s office for more than a decade.
Prior to her appointment as interim clerk, Zarate served for three years as court administrator and seven years as program coordinator for the Treatment and Accountability Court. “I was selected for the Interim Clerk appointment because of my proven work ethic and contributions to the local judiciary and my community,” Zarate said in a news release. “I have the experience and institutional knowledge necessary to continue to lead the Clerk of Courts office in the administration of justice and to be the official record keeper for the county while adhering to the highest ethical standards deserved by all.”
Griffeth has served as a clerk with the Family Violence Unit, deputy clerk and senior deputy clerk. “My top priority is to ensure the people of Athens-Clarke County are served with excellence and our records are preserved with the highest integrity,” he said in a news release announcing his candidacy. “With over a decade of experience in the Clerk’s office, I know firsthand what is required to provide members of the community and legal system with customer service that is efficient, collaborative and professional. If elected, every person who comes into our office will be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”
The race is nonpartisan. The countywide special election is scheduled for Nov. 7.
Three Winterville City Council seats are up for grabs Nov. 7, as well. Tina Mills is the lone candidate to fill the unexpired term of Timothy Pierce-Tumlin. Four candidates are seeking the other two seats: Melissa Metzger, an incumbent; and Diane Greene, Jonathan Mosely and Kenneth Tweedell. For those two seats, voters will pick two candidates, and the top two finishers will win.
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