District Attorney candidate Donna Sikes made a point of her opponents past work for former disgraced district attorney Tim Madison during the Primary campaign and Tuesday night, it appeared her strategy had an impact.
Sikes led the three-person race with a cumulative 5,129 votes and will be in a run-off with former Assistant District Attorney Brad Smith, who garnered 4,820 votes.
Incumbent Rick Bridgeman, who was appointed to the post last year by the governor after the resignation of Madison, finished last in the race with 4,666 votes.
Both candidates are already making plans on how to come out on top in the Aug. 5 run-off election.
“I’m just thankful I have led — even by a narrow margin,” Sikes said Tuesday night. “I know I have a lot of work to do. I’m fixing to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I appreciate everyone who had enough confidence to vote for me. I hope they all get out and vote in the run off and take someone with them.”
Wednesday morning, Brad Smith said: “I’m very encouraged. I need to find a way to pick up some of the people who supported Bridgeman and do a little better in Banks and Jackson counties and make sure my base in Barrow County comes out and votes out.”
Smith pushed past Bridgeman for the runoff by carrying Barrow County with 60 percent of the vote. Although Bridgeman had garnered the most votes in Jackson and Banks counties, it wasn’t enough to overcome Smith’s large win in Barrow.
Sikes made her ground by hanging very close to Bridgeman in both Banks and Jackson counties and by besting him in Barrow County by 600 votes.
Donna Sikes
Barrow 1,974
Jackson 2,117
Banks 1,038
Total 5,129
Brad Smith
Barrow 2,891
Jackson 1,481
Banks 448
Total 4,820
Rick Bridgeman
Barrow 1,366
Jackson 2,217
Banks 1,083
Total 4,666
Regardless, I don't believe Ms. Sikes the criminal experience
to be District Attorney.
Where is her conscience?? What kind of a DA would she make with no conscience? Isn't having a DA with no conscience what got us into this mess in the first place??
The fact is, folks hated Tim Madison and understandably so. Madison abused his position. But what people don't realize is that he was often abusive towards his employees. The employees of the DA's office didn't care for him any more than anyone else, but they endured him because they loved the work they were doing. It is a shame that people who chose to serve this community instead of abandoning it are continuously maligned for their service. I for one am grateful they chose to stay. After all, where would we be if no one had stuck around to prosecute criminals?
Brad Smith is a man of the highest integrity. He was cleared of any wrongdoing or knowledge of wrongdoing by the GBI and Attorney General's office. (If you don't believe it, call the AG's office and ask them.) He is widely respected by the legal community, law enforcement and other prosecutors across this circuit and the state. It would be a shame if this community punishes his service to it by electing a candidate who is not remotely qualified for the position.
I believe there is a Death Penalty case or two in the circuit. Who is going to try that case? She is not qualified. Has she even tried a murder case at all?? I believe the bulk of her experience is handling lesser cases. She has never prosecuted ANY type of case.
Perhaps the "gang of lawyers" and other law enforcement in the area support Mr. Smith because they actually know what it takes to be District Attorney and they know Ms. Sikes doesn't have the experience or knowledge necessary for the job.
Prosecutors do not go into public service to make a lot of money. They do it because they want to serve a greater good. Once again, these trips were not illegal, and frankly they were no secret. What, exactly, would have been accomplished if everyone resigned? All we would have been left with then is a bunch of criminals who remained on the street because no one cared enough to stick around and prosecute them. The fact is, the prosecutors who remained in the Piedmont DA's office did stick around to prosecute cases, and when Madison forced them to go on these trips, they used their personal time to go into the office or take work home with them so that their work got done, and they didn't get paid overtime to do it.
You don't have to like Madison -- in fact, you shouldn't (and those who worked for him, including Smith, would agree with that statement), but don't lump everyone who stayed around to keep the streets you live on safer in with him. None of them deserve it, and the AG himself said so when he issued a statement after Madison was sentenced saying that Madison's acts had cast an "unfair pall" over everyone in the office.
I voted for Bridgeman. His record for prosecuting criminals was best. But, since not enough people recognized that until it was too late, he did not make it to the runoff.
Now, I will be voting for Brad Smith.
I do not believe your "information", because I do know this: there is a well-known, well-respected, and well-loved lawyer in Barrow county, who now sits on the Board of Commissioners, who knows Brad Smith, and supports him for DA.
As for the attorneys in this circuit, they're supporting Brad because they understand an incompetent DA isn't good for them either. They know better than anyone how unqualifed Donna Sikes is for the job because she is one of them and they have to deal with her on cases. The fact is, Donna Sikes is completely unqualified for this job, and everyone, including her, knows it. She has resorted to lies and mudslinging against both Smith and Bridgeman to distract voters from the real issues and apparently it worked.
The Attorney General and GBI cleared Smith and other staffers of any wrongdoing OR knowledge of wrongdoing. Last time I checked they didn't have any reason to not prosecute any and everyone who would've been involved.
Who let that backlog of cases pile up? Who let Caylor get probation? Brad Smith = 4 more years of Tim Madison, only dumber!
This is just another mudslinging, personal attack on a good man without any regard for the truth. If you’ve actually taken the time to go to the clerk’s office to check who handled this case, you obviously went there hoping to find something to attack Brad Smith on and obviously have something to gain by attacking him.
Responsibility: a form of trustworthiness; the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one's conduct; the opposite of Brad Smith.
Was Brad running the show or was he just "one of 15" attorneys? Why can't he own up to ANYthing?
That is how he did it!! Brad Smith has prosecuted thousands of cases and has sent a boatload of criminals to prison for their crimes. Donna Sikes has always got the criminals off or probation on the few criminal cases she handled. If she wants to condemn someone for guilt by association, she should look in the mirror! She is sleeping with a man that has been charged with VIOLENT FELONY CHARGES How much closer can you get than that? Brad Smith is the only person qualified for the position of District Attorney for the Piedmont circuit. Also if she wants to talk about honesty and doing things right, why did she start accepting contributions for her campaign as soon as the news hit about Tim Madison. She had already started planning to run for DA. That's illegal! Brad Smith is the ONLY candidate with the qualifications and integrity for the job! Go Brad!!
Brad's record is one of incompetence, but you can't really blame him, because he learned everything he knows from Tim Madison.
Do not waste your vote on a write-in. You all had your chance to vote for Bridgeman. I'm glad I did.