ATLANTA — The first day of candidate qualifying Monday revealed the outlines of a few contests for state races, including challenges to U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson.
Officials from both major parties said they were pleased with who showed up so far. But they disagree about the impact the presidential race is having.
Democratic spokesman Michael Smith predicted the Republican frontrunner’s incendiary comments would antagonize voters.
“If I were a Republican running, I’d be very, very worried if Donald J. Trump’s name is at the top of the ticket,” Smith said. “I’d be very worried.”
Republican Chairman John Padgett said fears about Trump are overblown.
“There may be some people that suffer under the idea that it may be a good time to run because they perceive that the vast majority of Republicans are mad at the party,” he said. “But this is a state-party operation, and we don’t seem to be suffering from that right now. It looks like everybody is pretty happy with our team.”
Neither reported seeing a rush of first-time candidates energized by the presidential race.
Still, Isakson, Georgia’s senior Republican senator, attracted three challengers the first day.
He was among the first to complete his paperwork as he seeks another six-year term, his first election since announcing he has Parkinson’s Disease. He drew a Republican challenge from Derrick Grayson, a transit-system engineer who has come up short in other statewide races.
The Democrat stepping forward to oppose Isakson is Jim Knox, who works in information technology after retiring from the U.S. Air Force. And over the weekend, the Libertarian Party’s state convention nominated Allen Buckley, who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and 2008. Buckley didn’t submit qualifying papers Monday because his party uses a convention to pick nominees.
The Republican and Democratic primaries are May 24, which seems to be a short time from now for some candidates, like Lee Anderson of Grovetown who is running for the state Senate seat being vacated by Bill Jackson, R-Appling. Jackson surprised many people last week when he announced he would not be seeking re-election.
Anderson, who left the Georgia House to run unsuccessfully for 12th Congressional District in 2012, qualified as a Republican. He said he’s still getting up to speed on the issues but felt confident.
“We’re going to work it to the end,” he said.
He’s not alone in the Republican primary since Gregory Grzybowski, an Evans government contractor, also threw his hat into the ring.
Republicans did take the 12th District two years ago with Rick Allen’s win. He qualified to run again and drew a Democratic challenger from Augusta, Tricia McCracken, a freelance journalist. Allen also drew a Republican challenger, retired businessman Eugene Yu who was defeated in the primary for that district when Allen won two years ago.
A challenger who didn’t show up the first day was former U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, who had said he intended to upset U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, the Republican in the 9th Congressional District. While Collins qualified and Republican Roger Fitzpatrick did, too, Broun wasn’t among the Monday crowd.
Another unsuccessful Republican nominee for the 12th Congressional District, Delvis Dutton or Glennville, also signed up for an open seat in the state Senate as a way to return to the General Assembly. Dutton entered the race for the seat that Republican Tommie Williams is retiring from after 18 years. Vidalia attorney and Toombs County Commission Chairman Blake Tillery qualified as a Republican, too, after Williams’ retirement announcement last week.
State Rep. Barbara Sims, R-Augusta, had let her retirement be known months ago, and the race for her seat includes three Republicans so far, nurse Lori Greenhill, physician Mark Newton and attorney Wright McLeod, who had also struck out in a run for the 12th Congressional District.
There may be some dissatisfaction in the Republican Party because House Speaker David Ralston and House Majority Leader Jon Burns both face challengers. Burns of Newington is against Daniel Almond of Clyo.
A House seat left vacant by the death Feb. 25 of Rep. Bob Bryant, D-Garden City, has one candidate so far for the general election, Democrat Josey Sheppard Jr. Two other candidates qualified last week for a special election to complete Bryant’s term this year, and they’re expected to come back later this week to qualify for the general election, too.
The retirement of Rep. Alex Atwood, R-St. Simons Island, to run for a judgeship has drawn Republican retiree Don Hogan of St. Simons Island and Democrat Kenneth Brown, a Brunswick painter.
