The Georgia Secretary of State’s office set this week for candidates who want to run for municipal office in the November 7 election. Here are some of the people who have qualified so far this week. Check back for updates as more candidates qualify.

FOREST PARK

  • The City of Forest Park’s Elections page does not include dates, times, or links to qualifying forms to download. Qualifying is Tuesday, Aug. 22 through Thursday, Aug. 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but the office is closed for lunch from 12 noon to 1 p.m.
  • Council seats are up for grabs in Ward 3, Ward 4, and Ward 5 ($432 fee).
  • The city is revising its existing ward districts to bring them in line with federal requirements.
  • An incomplete list of qualified candidates as of Monday morning included only one person: Tony Lee Crosby, Jr. for Ward 5 councilman.

JONESBORO

  • Monday, Aug. 21-Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 8:30 a.m-4:30 p.m.
  • Qualifying packet
  • Mayor: $504 fee (salary is $16,800; term expires Dec. 31, 2027)
  • Councilmember (3 at-large seats; salary is $9,240): $277.20 fee; term expires Dec. 31, 2027)
  • The Nov. 7 election promises to be largely a rerun of the contentious special election. Mayor Donya Sartor (the city’s first Black mayor) and the white council majority have been at odds since Sartor took office. Sartor has said she wants to see more formal procurememt processes; the council majority, led by Mayor Pro Tem Tracey Messick, have accused Sartor of various attacks and have brought her up on ethics charges, despite the fact the fact that Jonesboro has no ethics board to hear the matter. City governance has all but ground to a halt amid the infighting and both camps have attacked each other on social media.
  • An incomplete list of those who had qualified by noon Wednesday included Penny Faucett, Messick, Charles Forsyth, and Asjah Miller for city council; and Arlene Charles for mayor.
  • UPDATE 5:20 p.m.: Here is the final list of qualified candidates, which adds Pat Sebo-Hand for mayor and Alfred Dixon and Cam Dixon for city council:

MORROW

LAKE CITY

  • August 21st – August 23rd from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • The fee to run for a council seat is $252. Two seats are up (held by Chinetha Kyles and Christopher Craven)
  • The fee to run for mayor (Ron Dodson’s seat) is $360.
  • A source told The Clayton Crescent that no one had qualified as of noon Wednesday. City Clerk Eric Beckman told The Clayton Crescent just before 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, “I have three [potential candidates] in but I have not processed their packets to determine if they are eligible or completed.”
  • UPDATE 4:55 p.m. 8/23: Beckman confirms that only the incumbents qualified.

LOVEJOY

  • Qualifying runs from Monday, Aug. 21 to Friday, Aug. 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • The mayor’s seat and four council seats are up ($432 fee for each).
  • As of Wednesday, April 23, Marci Fluellen had qualified to run for mayor, with Rosanette Kirby running for Post 1, Veronica Parrott for Post 2, Rebekah Wright for Post 3, and Mary Ann Carp for Post 4, according to City Clerk Marie Burnham.
  • Longtime Mayor Bobby Cartwright, whose construction company got contracts around the county, who held onto power for years without reelection, and who has been increasingly involved with a real estate project in Florida, is retiring.

RIVERDALE

We’ll update as each city closes qualifying and issues its complete list of qualified candidates. This list only includes people who have filed the required paperwork to appear on the November 7 ballot with each municipality. It does not include people who say they are running but who have yet to qualify.

Robin Kemp is executive editor and CEO of The Clayton Crescent, which she founded in 2020. She has worked for Gambit, CNN, The Weather Channel, Clayton News, Henry Herald, and numerous freelance outlets....

Leave a comment