Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for May 25, 2012

“Topaz” is a 3-year old, female lab mix who is available for adoption today from Walton Animal Control Services. She weighs 60 pounds and has not yet been spayed, but the $40 adoption fee includes a certificate for reduced price spaying and she will be up-to-date on her vaccinations.

This is the hard time of the year for shelter animals, as a flood of new ones generally means more frequent euthanasia for beautiful, healthy dogs and cats. Please consider adopting your next pet from a shelter or rescue organization.

Georgia honors her veterans

Yesterday at 10 AM in the State Capitol, Georgia honored her veterans, including 23 who have given their lives this year. Governor Deal, an Army veteran, spoke, followed by State Rep. John Yates (R-Griffin), Chairman of the House Committee on Defense and Veterans Affairs who served during World War II.

Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Candidate qualifying wraps up today at noon. Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp has an up-to-date listing of qualified state-level candidates on his office’s website.

Because of the observance Monday of Memorial Day, we will not have much political coverage, but will bring extensive coverage of local elections on Tuesday.

Augusta Chronicle cover local candidates qualifying the last two days, including opposition to the District Attorney and Superior Court Chief Judge.

The Gwinnett Daily Post does the same for local and state-level officers for Gwinnett County.

Local races covered by the Gainesville Times include a former Democratic officeholder who is now running as a Republican.

The Newnan Times-Herald write that five local races are currently contested.

Twenty two candidates have qualified in Carroll County, according to the Times-Georgian.

The Macon Telegraph covers mid-state elections, including the challenge by former State Rep. David Lucas to first-term incumbent Miriam Paris; both are Democrats.

Local races in Savannah include a Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Republican Congressman Jack Kingston, according to the Savannah Morning-News.

Matt Towery says that Mitt Romney has a comfortable lead in the Presidential election in Georgia, with 52% to President Obama’s 40%. As he did with his interview of Sen. George Hooks, Denis O’Hayer has posted both a 5-minute broadcast version and a longer “director’s cut.” For political junkies, this is great news; also good news for geeks like us is that O’Hayer spent about 1.5 hours with the retiring Dean of the Senate, so we may get another episode of Georgia’s history.

Governor Nathan Deal will lead a trade delegation to Turkey from May 28th through June 1st.

“Turkey has opened its doors to Georgia by naming our state as one of just six U.S. states with whom it intends to increase trade, and this delegation will introduce Turkish leaders to our tremendous capabilities for business,” said Deal. “This mission will ensure our message will resonate at the highest levels of commerce.”

Gov. Deal will also headline a fundraiser for the reelection of Senator David Shafer (R-Duluth) on Tuesday, June 26th in Johns Creek. Joining the Governor and Senator Shafer will be Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens. We’ll send out more information as it becomes public.

Jackson County Chairman Hunter Bicknell has qualified for reelection to that post, ending his campaign for the Republican nomination for Congress in the new 9th Congressional District. As a longtime political professional, I was concerned that Bicknell’s burn rate of campaign cash was too high, and this appears to have been part of the reason he dropped out.

“Based on the fact that it takes a lot of money to run a (Congressional) campaign — and we’re getting into the phase now where you have to spend money to reach the voters — I’ve decided that I did not want to put that much of my own money into the campaign.”

Bicknell would have been a compelling figure in the race because of Jackson County’s success in attracting jobs; the County led all Georgia counties in new job creation last year.

Georgia Tipsheet, a great new blog on Georgia politics, brings us the story of waning Democratic strength in local races across the state.

Bleckley County’s partisan pols have near-unanimously filed for reelection Wednesday as Republicans. All countywide Democratic elected officials officials save for surveyor have broken rank with the party.

Kathy Schrader qualified yesterday for Gwinnett County Superior Court in the open seat currently held by retiring Judge Dawson Jackson.*

“I’m running for Superior Court judge because of my commitment to the community in which Richard and I have raised our three children, and in recognition of the responsibility we have for our community,” said Schrader. “My unequaled experience as a lawyer, solicitor, Municipal Court Judge in Duluth and Sugar Hill, and most importantly, a parent of three children, make me the best-qualified candidate for Superior Court.”

Schrader resigned her appointment to the Governor’s Office for Families and Children before qualifying, a post she was first named to by Republican Governor Sonny Perdue, and reappointed to by Governor Nathan Deal.

She served as President of the Gwinnett County Bar Association from 1995-96 and under her leadership, the Gwinnett County Bar Association received every award available from the State Bar of Georgia for local bar associations, including the President’s Award.

Kathy Schrader was twice rated as qualified for Gwinnett County Superior Court by the Judicial Nominations Commission.

Kathy and her family are actively involved in Cross Pointe, The Church at Gwinnett Center, where Kathy serves in the Women’s Ministry and missions, and has served as a youth leader, mentor for young women and small group leader for marriage enrichment.

Political Vine has published a short analysis of the voting histories of the candidates for the open seat on Gwinnett County Superior Court. Interesting, one candidate appears to have just registered to vote in Gwinnett County on the same day as local elections in November 2011, and one of the candidates surprisingly pulled a Democratic ballot in the 2008 Presidential Preference Primary.

That race is nonpartisan, and the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission rules limit candidates’ role in partisan political organizations, but actual voting history can help you assess whether a candidate is more likely to be conservative or liberal, and their actual commitment to the community versus their campaign rhetoric.

Reverend Joseph Lowery wants race to be a factor in Fulton County judicial appointments because fewer African-Americans sit on the Superior Court bench today than ten years ago.

“We are watching a disappearing number of African-American judges, which is not fair to the citizens of this community,” the Rev. Joseph Lowery, representing the Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda, said. “We’re here to protest that injustice. … We don’t need in this new century the habits of the old one.”

Dalton Daily News has coverage of local and legislative elections for Whitfield and Murray Counties.

Ends & Pieces

My friend, Ray Newman, has written an op-ed in the AJC following President Obama’s evolution on the issue of marriage.

We come to this issue from several perspectives. First, the historic social issue of marriage. Traditionally, each culture for centuries has accepted marriage as a union between one man and one woman. In fact, the first definition of marriage given in the dictionary is: “The social institution under which a man and woman live as husband and wife by legal or religious commitments.”

….Finally, we look at this issue from a political viewpoint. We are watching as morals are moving away in order to assure rights. We are being told that, politically, we must evolve into an amoral world view in order to assure rights that are granted to certain behaviors.

Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate hit 8% in April, the lowest in three years.

The American Wind Energy Association’s WindPower 2012 Conference and Exhibition will be in Atlanta on June 3d through 6th. Speakers will include Arkansas Governor Sam Beebe, a Democrat, and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, a Republican, Ted Turner, GOP Strategist Karl Rove and Former White House Press Secretary and longtime Senior Advisor to President Obama Robert Gibbs.

DeKalb County Schools may not be able to afford continuing to operate Fernbank Science Center.

The Georgia Olive Growers Association held a spring workshop for current and prospective olive growers. Republican State Representative Jason Shaw (Lakeland) is a member of the Association’s Board and actively promotes the young olive industry.

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Disclaimer: I work for Kathy Schrader’s campaign, but I’d cover this race anyway, having grown up in Gwinnett County.