Candidates with Primary Opposition

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, July 13, 2012
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. In exactly 18 days we’ll go to the polls and vote for public officials, including 15 judges for superior courts. In five of those races, the current judge is not running, so two to five candidates are campaigning for each of those open seats. Incumbent judges running for reelection have only one opponent each. So, here’s the question: Is anyone running for superior court in your circuit? If so, do you know who would be the better judge?

Also in the primary, most of us will be voting for new legislators, because districts have been redrawn since the 2010 Census and district numbers have changed. For example: For the past ten years, I’ve been in State Senate district 55. Now I’m in Senate District 41. My State House district was 87, now it’s 86. Both have changed, but I’m still at the same address. My new senator has no opposition, but my representative does and an attorney is running against the incumbent judge in the Stone Mountain Superior Court Circuit.

In Georgia, one congressmen, 34 State Senators and 90 State Representatives are unopposed. They won’t have to campaign for reelection this year, although their districts have been redrawn. With the population increase over the last decade, Georgia picked up another representative in Congress. Now we have 14. The newly created district was drawn as Congressional District 9, where voters can choose from three Republicans and a Democrat.

The current district numbers are on your new Voter Registration Card that came in the mail last month. If your address has changed since the old card was issued, you can complete a form on the new card and send it back, so your records can be corrected.

If you have moved to another county or your legal name has changed, you must complete a new voter registration application. Voter registration cards cannot be used as proof of United States citizenship. So, hopefully, voters will be screened to make sure only U.S. citizens and legal residents are allowed to vote. Candidates are listed on sample ballots you can find on your county website or at public libraries or on public bulletin boards. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.