Attorney Emory Wilkerson of Fayetteville — who is seeking appointment to the open Post 5 seat on the Fayette County Board of Education — is a familiar name on both Republican and Democrat election ballots for the past decade.
Wilkerson has run three times as a Republican and most recently as a Democrat — and he lost all four times.
In 2002, Wilkerson ran as a Republican for the 34th district seat in the Georgia Senate, but he lost to challenger Valencia Seay by more than 6,351 votes.
In 2004, Wilkerson ran as a Republican and sought the District 74 seat in the Georgia House of Representatives, which includes part of north Fayette County and a sizable area of Riverdale and Clayton County. He lost to incumbent Roberta Abdul-Salaam, who got 60 percent of the vote.
In 2006, Wilkerson was one of five candidates vying for the vacant Post 1 seat that was previously occupied by A.G. VanLandingham, who passed away while in office. Wilkerson, again listed as a Republican, came in second, with 29 percent of the vote to political newcomer Robert Horgan, who won the election outright with 51.7 percent of the vote.
In July 2010, Wilkerson switched parties and ran as a Democrat for the 74th district seat in the Georgia House of Representatives, but he was again defeated by incumbent Roberta Abdul-Salaam, who took 62.6 percent of the Democrat Primary vote.
Earlier this year, Wilkerson joined other plaintiffs in a federal voting rights lawsuit against the county commission and the board of education.
Wilkerson now is reported to be seeking to be removed as a plaintiff in that lawsuit while he is seeking the appointment to the school board.
