Candidates start qualifying for midstate elections

Candidates looking to run for office in November’s municipal elections in a handful of Middle Georgia cities began qualifying Monday morning.

In Warner Robins, City Council seats for Posts 2, 4 and 6 began qualifying at 8:30 a.m. Monday, and the process will last until 4:30 p.m. Friday, said City Clerk Bill Harte.

Incumbents Carolyn Robbins, Tim Thomas and Mike Davis submitted paperwork to qualify by Monday afternoon, Harte said. In addition, Betsy Loiacono qualified for Post 4, now held by Thomas.

Anyone wishing to qualify for the Nov. 3 election should visit Elections Superintendent Michelle Riley in the City Clerk’s office on the first floor of City Hall, Harte said.

In Perry, voters will decide who will fill three of six City Council seats: District 1, Post 2, currently held by Willie King; District 2, Post 2, currently held by William Jackson and District 3, Post 2, currently held by Riley Hunt.

King was the only candidate to qualify Monday.

Perry’s qualifying is being held at the Houston County Board of Elections in the old courthouse at 801 Main St. in Perry and will take place daily from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. until Friday, said City Clerk Annie Warren.

In Forsyth, voters will decide on the mayor and three of six council positions. Those are Post 1, currently held by Jimmy Jones; Post 3, currently held by Melvin Lawrence, and Post 4, currently held by Greg Goolsby. In addition to those seats, there will be a special election in November for Post 2.

City Clerk Janice Hall said Councilman Eric Wilson, who represented Post 2 and was not up for re-election, resigned from his post to run for mayor.

“We’re actually having our regular election and a special election in one election in November,” Hall said. “(Wilson) has qualified to run for the mayor position, so we will have a special election for Post 2 (also). ... (Wilson) did not have to resign to run for mayor, he could have remained on council and ran for mayor. If he were successful in running for mayor, then after the first of the year, we would have had to have had a special election to fill his seat.”

Wilson and Lawrence were the only candidates to qualify as of Monday afternoon.

In Dublin, voters will elect a mayor and four of seven City Council members, said City Manager Lance Jones. Open seats are Ward 1, currently held by Julie Driger; Ward 2, currently held by Gary Johnson; Ward 3 currently held by Ed Touchberry and Ward 4, currently held by Bill Brown.

Mayor Phil Best qualified Monday, as did Johnson and Brown for council posts. Bennie Jones also qualified to run for Driger’s seat in Ward 1. Incumbent school board members Peggy Johnson, Bill Perry and Demetrice Hollis also qualified for their seats.

In East Dublin, voters will choose a mayor and all five council spots.

City Administrator Larry Drew said Mayor George Gornto and four city council members -- Len Turner, Zilmon Young, Dent Jackson and All Williams -- submitted paperwork to qualify by Monday afternoon. The fifth council incumbent, Braxton Brown Jr., was expected to file his paperwork Tuesday morning.

Those wanting to qualify can visit City Clerk Melissa Bassett in City Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily until Friday.

Telegraph writer Jeremy Timmerman contributed to this report. To contact writer Laura Corley, call 744-4334 or follow her on Twitter @Lauraecor.

This story was originally published August 31, 2015 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Candidates start qualifying for midstate elections ."