UPDATED JUNE 3 — The Citizen recently emailed two questions to candidates in seven contested races for Fayette County elective office. The only partisan contested offices are on the Republican ballots, while the non-partisan magistrate court judges races are on all ballots in the June 9 election. Early voting continues this week in two locations: the Elections Office in Fayetteville and the Peachtree City Library. We will post links to them in this article for you to enhance your knowledge of the candidates.
Here are the two questions we asked each of them:
QUESTION: You are asking to be hired (or re-hired) by the voters of this county. Give five reasons why they should vote for you and not your opponent.
QUESTION: How are you different from your opponent(s) in your philosophy and your approach to this elected office?
After we emailed those two questions to the 17 candidates, we didn’t hear from three candidates through no fault of their own. In one case, we had an incorrect email address for the incumbent chairman of the Fayette County Board of Education, Scott A. Hollowell, so he didn’t receive our questions. He now has submitted answers to those questions. See the link below.
We also have heard from Pamela S. Patterson and Sheila Huddleston in two non-partisan races for Magistrate Court judge posts. Our email to Huddleston ended up in her spam box. Huddleston has now responded with her answers.
Because of our mistake, Patterson did not receive an initial email from us, but now has replied to the questions. Her answers are below.
It’s noteworthy that School Board member Hollowell has voted in favor of two controversial building projects costing more than $55 million in the past 12 months: The construction of a new middle school and the recently announced remodeling of the current J.C. Booth Middle School to eventually re-purpose it for a vocational school.
Two candidates are running to unseat Hollowell: 20-year school board veteran Marion Key and three-time ESPLOST campaign leader Neil Sullivan.
Click to read Key’s answers HERE.
Click to read Sullivan’s answers HERE.
Click to read Hollowell’s answers HERE.
Incumbent District 5 school board incumbent Brian Anderson responded, even though his Republican challenger has withdrawn from the race, leaving Anderson uncontested.
Click to read Anderson’s answers HERE.
Three Fayette County Commission posts are being decided this year. The Republican contests are District 1, covering the geographic area from Tyrone eastward; District 2, covering eastern and southern Fayette County; and the at-large District 5, which may be voted on by all county voters.
Incumbent Eric Maxwell is seeking reelection to District 1 in the Republican Primary. Click to read Maxwell’s answers HERE.
The wife of Fayetteville City Manager Ray Gibson is running to replace Maxwell. Click to read Sonja Renee Gibson’s answers HERE.
Current Commission Chairman Randy Ognio is seeking reelection to the District 2 post. Click to read Ognio’s answers HERE.
A former commissioner and former Fayette County Public Works director, Lee Hearn, is seeking to unseat Ognio for the Republican nomination. Click to read Hearn’s answers HERE.
Incumbent Charles Oddo is seeking another term in the at-large District 5 race. Click to read Oddo’s answers HERE.
Political newcomer Ann Wittenberg is seeking to unseat Oddo for the Post 5 seat. Click to read Wittenberg’s answers HERE.
Retired naval officer and neurosurgeon William Yarde is also seeking the Post 5 Republican nomination. Click to read Yarde’s answers HERE.
The three races for the non-partisan judgeships in Fayette Magistrate Court will be decided in the June 9 election. Since the offices are without party labels, they will not be on the November General Election ballots.
Incumbent Judge Christy Dunkelberger is seeking reelection to the District 1 judgeship. Click to read Dunkelberger’s answers HERE.
Seeking to unseat her is Pamela S. Patterson. Click to read Patterson’s answers HERE.
Incumbent Kathy Brown Valencia is seeking reelection to the District 2 judgeship. Click to read Brown’s answers HERE.
Her challenger is Sheila Huddleston. Click to read Huddleston’s answers HERE.
Incumbent Judge James A, White is running for reelection to the District 4 judgeship. Click to read White’s answers HERE.
His challenger in the non-partisan race is Natalie Ashman. Click to read Ashman’s answers HERE.
Cal, I’m curious as to why others were addressed properly, but I was mentioned, the wife of city manager, Ray Gibson? I am an individual. I have my own thoughts and rightfully speak them when needed. My husband isn’t involved in my campaign, because I have my own voice. I am, Local business owner, Sonja Gibson running to unseat Maxwell for The Citizens of District One in Fayette County. Why wasn’t I given the same respect?