Candidate qualifying for local races begins April 26

The qualifying fees for commission candidates is $180 and for board of education candidates is $18.

The Barrow County Board of Commissioners races will be for the seats in districts 4,5 and 6 held by Isaiah Berry, Billy Parks, and Ben Hendrix.

The Barrow County Board of Education races will be for the five seats in districts 1, 3, 4, 7 and 9 held by Randall Holland, Connie Wehunt, Larry Ballard, Dan Cromer and chairman Mark Still.

As of Monday, the only local candidate who had officially filed his letter of intent to run for office was DuWayne Anderson, a semi-retired Winder resident who is well-known to local bloggers. He has put his name in the hat for the school board’s 7th district at-large seat.

Names of other potential candidates also have surfaced in the rumor mill over the past few months, but Barrow County Republican Party chairman Ken Young said this week that many who test the political waters never actually jump in and run.

“So many people that talk a good game do not come in, and they’ll be the first ones to gripe about not having good candidates on the ballot,” Young said.

In the weeks leading up to the primaries, the county Republicans are planning three forums mainly for local candidates, as well as one forum exclusively for candidates in the hotly contested race to fill the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. John Linder.

Young said he would release the dates of the forums once he has nailed them down with the candidates.

Voters on Nov. 2 also will fill the vacated seat of Ga. Sen. Ralph Hudgens (47th District) and will select Georgia’s next governor and other top state office holders.

To be able to vote in upcoming party primaries, voters must register by June 21. The registration deadline to vote in November’s general election is Oct. 4.