On July 27, 1974, the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee approved the first impeachment article against President Richard M. Nixon.
The first such impeachment recommendation in more than a century, it charge[d] President Nixon with unlawful activities that formed a “course of conduct or plan” to obstruct the investigation of the Watergate break-in and to cover up other unlawful activities.
The vote was 27 to 11, with 6 of the committee’s 17 Republicans joining all 21 Democrats in voting to send the article to the House.
The majority included three conservative Southern Democrats and three conservative Republicans.
A bomb exploded at a free concert in Centennial Park in Atlanta on July 27, 1996.
Police were warned of the bombing in advance, but the bomb exploded before the anonymous caller said it would, leading authorities to suspect that the law enforcement officers who descended on the park were indirectly targeted.
Within a few days, Richard Jewell, a security guard at the concert, was charged with the crime. However, evidence against him was dubious at best, and in October he was fully cleared of all responsibility in the bombing.
Former Georgia Governor Zell Miller took the oath of office as United States Senator on July 27, 2000. Miller would go on to win a special election for the remainder of the term in November 2000.
On July 27, 2014, former Braves manager Bobby Cox and pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, along with former White Sox player Frank Thomas, who was born in Columbus, Georgia.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Our prayers go out to Walton County Sheriff Joe Chapman, who was in an auto accident yesterday, and to the unnamed driver in the other car who was flown to Grady.
I’m going to start this morning with the two biggest races on the ballot – Cobb County, where Chairman Tim Lee was sent packing, and the Third Congressional District, where former West Point Mayor Drew Ferguson beat State Senator Mike Crane.
In Cobb, two-time challenger Mike Boyce beat incumbent Tim Lee by a roughly 2:1 margin in the Republican Primary Runoff.
[R]etired Marine Col. Mike Boyce overwhelmed the incumbent by garnering 25,264 votes, good for 64 percent of the 39,510 votes cast, while opponent Tim Lee received 14,246 votes, or 36 percent, according to unofficial results from the Cobb Board of Elections.
Boyce said the election results show that people want “to make sure that their government is open and transparent, and if you’re going to use our money, you should ask us first.”
“I’m happy for the trust that the people of Cobb County has put in me by electing me as the new chairman,” Boyce said. “But I’m not sure if I’m happier for my volunteers, who put in so much work during this campaign.”
Lee continued to support his involvement with the Atlanta Braves’ move to Cobb — a pivotal factor in the race — saying he was looking forward to the Atlanta Braves’ first pitch in its new stadium.
“I’ve been asked many times tonight if I would have done anything differently and the answer is no,” Lee said.
In the Third Congressional District, it appears that Drew Ferguson won by a 54:46 margin over Mike Crane. From the Newnan Times-Herald:
Ferguson gathered with friends, family and fans at the West Point Depot on Tuesday night. Drew Ferguson thanked the audience for their support, but noted hard work was still on the horizon.
“We have a lot to do between now and November,” he said. “I’m very excited about the chance to be part of the process that gets this nation back on the right track.”
Speaking to the general election, Ferguson urged his supporters to get behind Donald Trump. Regardless of their opinions of the Republican candidate, he cautioned against sitting on the sidelines.
“I want everyone to remember, we have the opportunity to appoint conservative Supreme Court justices,” Ferguson said. “We have to do this for the nation. You may not like Trump, but I tell you this, you cannot allow Hillary to get into the White House.”
Once results were in and it was clear the Crane campaign was not victorious, a video of clips from the campaign was played, while Crane sat with his arm around his wife, Tracey, with family members at his side.
“Glory to God. Glory to God. That was your movie, friend,” Crane said as it concluded. Though the numbers indicate that he didn’t win, “I would look at that and ask you – what have we lost?” Crane said. “I would not trade any single one of those smiles, one of those efforts, one of those calls for anything in the world.”
Crane said the goal of his campaign was to “honor God in all that we do. And I can say without any shadow of a doubt that each and every one of you were image bearers of the King. And I thank you for that.”
He hinted at a future run for office. “God’s got bigger things for us. The next race won’t be in November. We just don’t know when it will be, do we?” Crane said.
I was talking on the phone this morning with a friend who is also a politician, trying to figure out what the two campaigns had in common. If you’re looking at it in terms of an establishment v. grassroots race, the results were mixed. The Chambers of Commerce lined up behind Ferguson and helped him across the finish line, while in Cobb County, the local Chamber fell short with Tim Lee. Perhaps it’s more about personal style. Both Tim Lee and Mike Crane were the more aggressive candidates in their races, but in a year in which Donald Trump is the GOP nominee for President, how likely is it that a confrontational personality turns off Republican Primary voters?
In DeKalb County, Steve Bradshaw put an end to the political career of incumbent County Commissioner Sharon Barnes-Sutton, winning by a 3:1 margin. From Decaturish,
Bradshaw received 75 percent of the votes cast in the runoff for the Democratic primary, getting 5,853 votes compared to Sutton’s 1,907 votes.
He will face Republican Willie J. Willis in the November general election.
“I am proud of the people of DeKalb County,” Bradshaw told Decaturish. “They are tired of the trash. They want something better, so hopefully I can deliver that. I feel good. I am excited to get to work for the people of District 4.”
DeKalb County Commissioner Nancy Jester sent out a press release congratulating Bradshaw,
I welcome my good friend Commissioner-elect Steve Bradshaw to the DeKalb County Boards of Commissioners. It is a new day in DeKalb County. I look forward to working with Steve on a Budget and policies which make us all a stronger “One DeKalb.” It is time for a Board of Commissioners who work together to make DeKalb strong – with Steve Bradshaw on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners this work will start in January.
In Augusta, former State Rep. Lee Anderson cruised to victory in Senate District 24.
According to unofficial election results on the Georgia Secretary of State’s website, Anderson received 5,880 votes compared to 4,627 for Grzybowski. Anderson won every county except Richmond, which had a small precinct where Grzybowski beat him 10 votes to 8.
“I am just humbled and honored that the people have faith and trust in me and I’m excited to be able to move forward in the campaign because it’s not over,” Anderson said. “In November we have a Democratic opponent so we are still campaigning. We will get up in the morning and still fight for State Senate District 24.”
Senate District 43 produced a nail-biter, with former State Rep. Tonya Anderson appearing to edge State Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler by 8 votes to take on Republican JaNice VanNess in November.
DeWayne Hill won the GOP Primary Runoff for State House District 3 in the upper left-hand corner of Georgia.
Hill defeated Jeff Holcomb in a run-off election tonight, 1,822 votes to 1,324. He will replace Tom Weldon, who decided not to run for re-election in March.
Primary Runoff elections were not kind to Republican incumbents. Karen Mathiak beat Republican incumbent John Yates, the last WWII veteran in the Georgia legislature.
Karen Mathiak defeated incumbent 73rd District State Representative John Yates with 56 percent of the vote. That district includes precincts in Fayette, Spalding and Henry counties. There is no Democratic challenger on the November ballot.
GOP incumbent Tom Dickson also lost his reelection bid.
Murray County banker-turned-farmer Jason Ridley defeated longtime incumbent Tom Dickson in a runoff on Tuesday and is expected to represent state House of Representatives District 6 in the Legislature next year.
“I’m tickled to death,” Ridley said Tuesday night. “I’m just so grateful to the people for believing in me and trusting me. My word is as good as I said it is, and I will do what I said I would do, which is listen to the people.”
Ridley defeated Dickson by 1,839 votes (54.04 percent) to 1,564 votes (45.96 percent) in the runoff for the Republican nomination for District 6. No Democrat qualified, and the deadline for independent candidates has passed. The district includes parts of Whitfield and Murray counties.
Ridley said he got into the race because he doesn’t think politicians listen to the common man, and he said that during the next five months before he is sworn in he plans to get started doing exactly that.
“I want to find out what the people want and what they think has been neglected,” he said. “I’m going to be putting together some town hall meetings in Whitfield County and Murray County, find out what their concerns are and go from there.”
Likely the two most highly-contested State House districts in November will be House District 80 and 81, neighboring districts in DeKalb County.
Attorney Meagan Hanson won a narrow victory over Alan Cole in House District 80.
Hanson pulled in 777 votes or 50.95 %, while Cole received 748 votes or 49.05 %.
Voter turnout was low, with just over 1,500 total votes cast. Hanson took top billing in Fulton County, while Cole was the top pick in DeKalb.
Hanson will now face Democrat Incumbent Taylor Bennett for the House District 80 seat in the November 8th General Election.
In House District 81, Republican Lane Flynn won the runoff handily over Jim Duffie.
Lane Flynn has defeated Jim Duffie in the House District 81 Republican Primary Runoff. Flynn pulled in 504 votes or 71.09%, while Duffie received 205 votes or 28.91 %.
“I’m honored and deeply humbled to have been chosen by the voters to represent the Republican Party in the general election,” Flynn told The [Brookhaven] Post. “I look forward to bringing our positive message of reform and growth to the people of District 81.”
Flynn will now face Incumbent Democrat Scott Holcomb for the House District 81 seat in the November 8th General Election.
Dawson County Sheriff”s Office Major Jeff Johnson will take office in January 2017 after winning the Primary Runoff election for Sheriff.
Jeff Johnson edged past Tony Wooten to claim victory in the sheriff’s race, while Nicole Stewart is celebrating a successful campaign against Andi Henson Juliette to be the county’s next tax commissioner.
It’s been more than 20 years since Dawson County had a new sheriff. Billy Carlisle, who is currently serving his fifth term, did not seek re-election.
Current Tax Commissioner Linda Townley also did not seek a fourth term.
Johnson, commander of the Dawson County Jail, received 1,890 votes (52.07 percent), to Wooten’s 1,740 votes (47.93 percent).
Scott Minter claimed a seat on the Conasauga Circuit Superior Court in yesterday’s runoff election.
With overwhelming support in Murray County, Chief Assistant District Attorney Scott Minter captured a seat on the Superior Court bench on Tuesday, defeating Steve Farrow in a nonpartisan runoff.
Farrow took Whitfield County by 86 votes, but Minter won Murray County with a more than 1,000-vote advantage. The Conasauga Judicial Circuit includes both counties.
“I want to thank the citizens of Murray and Whitfield County for their support,” Minter said. “We ran so strong in Murray County, but we were also very strong in Whitfield County. I just thank the citizens of both counties so much.”
Minter finished with 4,608 votes (56.25 percent) to Farrow’s 3,583 votes (43.75 percent). In Whitfield County, Farrow led by 2,946 to 2,860, but Minter received 1,748 votes in Murray County, while Farrow pulled 637 votes.
In Clayton County, Shana Rooks traded her District 3 Commission seat for a win in Clayton County Superior Court, and will be joined on the bench by Robert Mack, who won his runoff. Felicia Franklin-Warner appears on-track to succeed Rooks in the District 3 seat.
John Morgan was elected as a Judge in Cobb County State Court, defeating Kellie Hill in the runoff. Kellie Kenner McIntyre won the Richmond County State Court runoff against Robert “Bo” Hunter.
With 70 of 70 precincts reporting, the current Richmond County State Court solicitor received 8,596 votes compared to 6,554 for Hunter, an attorney and former solicitor.
McIntyre attributed her success to faith in God when commenting about the election result. Hunter could not be reached for comment.
In the Griffin Judicial Circuit, Ben Coker won the Primary Runoff for District Attorney.
Assistant District Attorney Ben Coker with 57 percent of the vote has been elected district attorney for the Griffin Judicial Circuit after defeating Fayette County lawyer and former assistant district attorney Rudjard Hayes in Tuesday’s Republican Primary Election runoff.
There is no Democratic district attorney challenger on the November ballot.
Hayes won 5,524, or about 67 percent, of the 8,284 votes cast in Fayette, but Coker carried Spalding 3,368 to 1,761 (66 percent), Pike 1,277 to 234 (85 percent), and his home county Upson 2,752 to 133 (95 percent). In total, Coker garnered 10,157 votes to Hayes’ 7,652.
Fulton County Sheriff Ted Jackson appears to have beaten back an intra-party challenge and advances to the November General Election. In runoff elections for two seats on the Fulton County Superior Court bench, Belinda Edwards beat Sterling Eaves by 58-to-42, and Eric Dunaway won over Gary Alembik by 56-to-44.
Heather Lanier bested Ryan Cleveland for Superior Court in the South Georgia Circuit.
Heather Lanier won the runoff election for Superior Court Judge of the South Georgia Judicial Circuit Tuesday night, winning against opponent Ryan Cleveland with 60 percent of the votes.
“I had a lot of outstanding supporters who worked so hard for me and believed in me, and it showed in the results,” Lanier said. “I would not be where I’m at tonight if it were not for all those people who put in tireless hours, all having faith in my ability to do the job. To me that’s what the results show.”
Lanier won the runoff election by a final tally of 3894 votes to Cleveland’s 2333.
Overall she won four of the five counties in the circuit. In her Baker County, where she is from, she won 568 to 139. The Calhoun County results were 342-135 in favor of Lanier. Grady County voters chose Lanier 663-536, and in Mitchell County she won 1491 to 303. Cleveland’s lone victory came in his home county of Decatur, which he won 1220 to 830.
Bob Kovacs claimed victory in Cherokee County Commission District 3 over fellow Republican Jack Staver.
Terrell County Sheriff John Bowens won reelection with nearly 60 percent on turnout higher than the May 24 Primary, while Ellen Harnage won the runoff for Tax Commissioner. Melanie Gahring was elected Probate Judge for Lee County while Amber Holloway won the Probate Judge seat in Crisp County and Michael Rogerson was elected Probate Judge for Seminole County.
Gary Autry won the runoff election for Tax Commissioner in Catoosa County.
June Wood won the Republican nomination for Henry County Commission Chair and will meet Democrat Carlotta Harrell in November.
Wood defeated opponent, Lisa McGarity, by just over 500 votes in Tuesday’s runoff election. As of 10:15 p.m. Tuesday, Wood received 54.87 percent, with McGarity receiving 45.13 percent. According to the Henry County elections website, 5,628 ballots were cast in the race
“We are celebrating,” said Wood, as she awaited final numbers at Kirby G’s in McDonough. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. I’m going to continue to introduce myself to others and ask for their vote.”
Wood said during the coming months she plans to continue to discuss her plans keep Henry County safe, enhance traffic congestion, and bring jobs to make Henry County a “great place to work, live, play and pray.”
Henry County Elections Director Tina Lunsford had expected a 10 percent turnout, which has been the average for local runoff elections in previous years. Tuesday’s unofficial numbers showed that only 5 percent of Henry County’s registered voters cast a ballot in the chair race.
In Macon-Bibb County, Joe Allen won the runoff election for Commission District 6, while Bo Adams handily claimed a seat on the Bibb County Superior Court with more than 71% of the vote.
Laura Semanson was elected to the Forsyth County Commission for District 5, facing. no opposition in November.
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