Athens, Georgia’s local election is the same date as the statewide primary — May 21.
In this article, APN’s editor will break down candidates of interest to Athens voters, providing information and analysis to help you decide who to vote for.
Before examining this guide, you may wish to review your sample ballot at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov so you know which candidates you have the option to vote for.
Table of Contents
Democratic Primary
US House, District 10
GA House, District 124
Sheriff
Tax Commissioner
Coroner
Democratic party questions
Uncontested races
Republican Primary
GA Senate, District 47
GA House, District 121
Republican party questions
Uncontested races
Local / Non-Partisan Election
GA Supreme Court Justice
GA Appeals Court Judge
Commission, District 2
Commission, District 6
Commission, District 8
Board of Education, District 2
Uncontested races
Democratic Primary
US House, District 10
Jessica Fore, a realtor and musician from Athens, is running for a second time to become the Democratic nominee in GA-10. This year, she’ll face off against Lexy Doherty, an educational consultant who also lives in Athens.
In some ways, Doherty and Fore are almost indistinguishable. They both support raising the federal minimum wage, expanding healthcare access, codifying Roe, investing in alternative energy and stabilizing American democracy by fighting gerrymandering and making it easier to vote. Fore puts a greater emphasis on preserving and promoting democracy than Doherty, who focuses more on “kitchen table” economic issues, but they don’t have any big areas of policy disagreement.
The primary difference between them is what they’ve done so far on the campaign trail. Doherty started her campaign much earlier than Fore and, as a result, she was able to win over most of the Democratic donor and volunteer base. Doherty has a solid team behind her and she’s raised significantly more money so far — $31,148 for Doherty compared to $7,221 for Fore as of March 31, according to Open Secrets.
Both totals pale in comparison to the $940,000 war chest Collins has at his disposal. The truth in this very red district is that no matter how intelligent and personable, no matter what tactics they deploy or how they operate during the campaign, the Democratic nominee will end up losing by double-digits in November. I apologize to both of these campaigns, who are out there every day working hard, if my zeal in covering them is diminished by this unfortunate truth.
Doherty has been endorsed by Commissioner Carol Myers, Commissioner Dexter Fisher and the AFL-CIO.
Fore does have some points in her favor. She has deep connections to the United Methodist Church in this district and is nationally known as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Vote for Doherty if you believe the candidate with the most volunteers and the most money has the best chance of turning out the vote for Biden, even if victory is out of reach.
Vote for Fore if you believe a candidate with church connections has the best chance of changing minds in evangelical communities, despite the fundraising gap.
GA House, District 124
Melanie Miller works as a paralegal specialist and is running for state house in the District 124 Democratic primary against Rickie Glenn. Miller is running on a platform of raising the minimum wage, reproductive freedom, defending the right to vote and uniting the district in favor of “people over politics.” She does not support private school vouchers because she feels they take money away from public education.
You can hear more from Miller on Mokah Jasmine Johnson’s podcast.
I can’t find any information online about Glenn. At the moment, I can’t think of any reason why Democrats in this district would want to take a chance with an unknown like Glenn when they have a perfectly suitable candidate in Miller.
Sheriff
Sheriff John Q Williams is running for re-election this year against Tommy Dorsey, a 20-year veteran of the ACC Sheriff’s Office who is currently working for the Clarke County School District’s Police Department. Whoever wins this primary election will become sheriff as there is no Republican or independent candidate running in November.
Williams has had a challenging first term. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened some major problems in the Sheriff’s Office that existed long before Williams took office. In 2019, an audit revealed that the Sheriff’s Office has been struggling with deputy morale, recruitment and retention for some time. A significant salary gap between deputy pay and that of police officers has made addressing these problems difficult, but Williams has been able to make progress in his first term. Only time will tell if he can continue to steer the office in a positive direction.
Dorsey said at a recent candidate forum that he would pay an equalize deputy pay with that of police officers if elected. That would be a huge help, but the sheriff doesn’t get to make this decision alone. The sheriff’s budget is set by the mayor and commission who in turn rely on wage studies that have shown deputy pay in Athens to be in line with peer communities around the state. Williams himself has been a vocal advocate during budget hearings for raising deputy pay; if the decision was his to make, he would have done it already.
Williams’ biggest successes have been in the areas of mental health treatment, rehabilitation and public outreach. Williams tripled the mental health care resources available to inmates, he partnered with People Living in Recovery to start new rehabilitation programs and he recently started a program to help inmates gain work credentials by building tiny houses. He’s greatly expanded outreach to the community with events like the Fall festival and haunted house held in an unused area of the jail.
Dorsey is running because of low deputy morale, which he believes he can do a better job at improving than Williams. However, he hasn’t been able to communicate what he would do differently in this area.
Vote for Williams if you appreciate his rehabilitation and training programs, his outreach to the community and his focus on inmate well-being, including the tripling of mental healthcare resources.
Vote for Dorsey if you believe he can do a better job at improving deputy morale than Williams.
Tax Commissioner
Brant Spratlin is running against JP Lemay for ACC Tax Commissioner. Toni Meadow, who currently holds the office, has endorsed Lemay to be her successor, as has former Deputy Tax Commissioner James Finley. Lemay previously worked in the tax commissioner’s office and is now the Project Management Program Supervisor for ACC Leisure Services.
Spratlin is an insurance agent who I can’t find much public information about. Recently, he asked that Lemay be removed from the ballot, resulting in a challenge before the Board of Elections which he lost.
Spratlin has a Republican voting record but says that he identifies as an independent and has been moving in a Democratic direction recently. “The way the politics are going on the Republican side, I really don’t agree with it,” Spratlin said at a recent meeting of the ACC Democratic party.
There is one else running so whoever wins this primary will win the general.
Vote for Lemay if you feel that Toni Meadow’s endorsement carries significant weight.
Vote for Spratlin if you don’t trust Meadow’s opinion or if you want the office to move in a different direction.
Coroner
The coroner’s race is also contested this year after Sonny Wilson decided not to run again. Just like the Sheriff and Tax Commissioner races, there is no Republican running so whoever wins this primary will win the general.
Michael Eberhart is a funeral director and embalmer. William Gaulden also works at a funeral home. Both candidates say they want to continue Wilson’s good work if elected. The major thing that distinguishes these candidates is that Eberhart has had a longer career with significantly more experience as a funeral director, whereas Gaulden is younger.
You can listen their WUGA interviews to learn more about these candidates by clicking the links below their pictures. You can watch APN’s interview with these candidates here.
Democratic party questions
These questions are nonbinding. You can answer them, if you like, to let the Georgia Democratic Party know your positions on the issues. You can review the questions on your sample ballot on the Secretary of State’s website. Many Democrats will probably vote yes on all the questions, but it doesn’t matter how or if you answer.
Uncontested races
GA House District 120, GA House District 121, GA House District 122, GA Senate District 46, GA Senate District 47, District Attorney and Clerk of Superior Court are all uncontested in the Democratic primary.
Republican Primary
GA Senate, District 47
Frank Ginn has served as Senator in District 47 since 2011, usually unopposed, but he’s recently started to attract primary challengers. Ross Harvin, small businessman and gunnery sergeant in the US Marine Corps, is attempting to unseat Ginn for the second time.
Ginn has been a strong conservative who voted for school vouchers, against gender-affirming treatment for minors, against expanding Medicaid, against ending the “citizen’s arrest” and against a hate crimes bill. To my knowledge, he’s supported every right-wing bill in the Senate. Even so, some conservatives may view him as belonging more to the business wing of the Republican party rather than as a solidly loyal solider for Trump and the MAGA base.
Perhaps Ginn’s biggest political weakness is the perception that he may have inappropriately profited from his former position as chair of the Senate Transportation Committee during the demolition of a bridge in his district.
Harvin is running on a platform of fighting political corruption, ending the state income tax, providing infrastructure improvements and ending sanctuary cities in Georgia (although it’s unclear what he means by that since they are already illegal statewide).
Vote for Ginn if you think the candidate with the most experience will be better for the district.
Vote for Harvin if you want to see change in the state senate.
GA House, District 121
State Representative Marcus Wiedower is running for re-election in District 121. This year, he’s being challenged in the primary by John Grigsby.
I can’t think of any reason why Republicans shouldn’t support Wiedower in this primary. He’s had a strong conservative voting record and he hasn’t been involved in any scandals that I’m aware of. Grigsby doesn’t have an internet presence, at least none that I can locate. He’ll have less money and lower name recognition than Wiedower, so he would be more vulnerable in November. I can’t see why Republicans would want to take that risk when they already have a perfectly suitable incumbent.
Republican party questions
These questions are nonbinding. You can answer them, if you like, to let the Georgia Republican Party know your positions on the issues. You can review the questions on your sample ballot on the Secretary of State’s website.
Uncontested races
US House District 10, GA House District 120, GA House District 124 and GA Senate District 46 are all uncontested in the Republican primary.
Local / Nonpartisan Election
GA Supreme Court Justice
Justice Andrew Pinson was appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court by Governor Brian Kemp in 2022. In his first election, Pinson is challenged by John Barrow, former ACC Commissioner and US Representative.
This is a non-partisan race, but the best way to understand it is along party lines. Pinson is a Republican who served as clerk to US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He’s a member of the Federalist Society, a conservative organization that advocates for an originalist interpretation of the US Constitution.
Barrow served as US Representative from 2005 to 2015 and has been active in the Georgia Democratic Party for decades. Barrow says he’s running because he believes “Georgians have the same right under our state constitution that we used to have under Roe v Wade.” He says Pinson “believes the exact opposite.”
Vote for Pinson if you are a Republican or if you believe in an originalist interpretation of the US Constitution.
Vote for Barrow if you are a Democrat or if you want to help defend reproductive freedom at the state level.
GA Appeals Court Judge
Jeff Davis is running against Tabitha Ponder for the open Georgia Appeals Court seat this year. While Davis is a Republican and Ponder is a Democrat, this race may not break down as neatly along party lines as the Supreme Court election above.
Both candidates are qualified for the position. Ponder is a part-time magistrate judge for Cobb County who runs a mediation practice with Miles Mediation and Arbitration. For most of her career, Ponder focused on injury law and real estate. She currently staffs the Georgia Judicial Council’s Access to Justice Committee. While he does not have direct judicial experience, Davis’ credentials are impressive: he was the executive director of the State Bar of Georgia from 2014 to 2021. Before that, he was the director of the Judicial Qualifications Commission from 2010 to 2014 where he was responsible for the investigation and prosecution of judges accused of ethical misconduct.
Vote for Davis if you are a Republican or if you believe his resume makes him the best candidate.
Vote for Ponder if you are a Democrat and feel that improving the party balance on the court is important to you.
Commission, District 2
Commissioner Melissa Link is being challenged this year by Jason Jacobs, a downtown business owner and former minor league catcher in the Mets’ organization.
I’ve written about this race for the Flagpole, so I won’t re-hash everything here. The short of it is that Link has been under fire for saying a number of controversial or insensitive things over the years, enough so that Jacobs has decided to run on cooperation and civility as one of his major campaign promises.
Aside from that, Jacob’s main issue is addressing homelessness in Athens, which he wants to do in a different way than the county is currently planning. Jacobs opposes plans to create a new low-barrier homeless shelter, which he feels might be dangerous and counter-productive. While research shows that a “housing first” approach is more effective at addressing homelessness, Jacobs wants the focus to be on treatment for substance abuse and mental health issues (although he supports a shelter with barriers to keep some people out).
Link’s biggest accomplishments over the years have been in the area of historic and cultural preservation. She was instrumental in establishing the west downtown historic district and she worked to save the Mack-Burney House which is now affordable housing managed by the Athens Land Trust.
This is a non-partisan race, so candidates do not have to reveal their party identity. If it helps you decide, know that Link is a Democrat and Jacobs is a Republican.
Vote for Link if you appreciate her efforts to preserve neighborhood character and historic sites, or if you want to keep a Democrat in this seat.
Vote for Jacobs if you want to go a different direction on addressing homelessness, if you feel Link’s rhetoric has gotten out of control or if you’d like to see Republicans gain influence on the ACC Commission.
Commission, District 6
Rashe Malcolm, owner of Rashe’s Cuisine, is running against Stephanie Maddox Johnson, former ACC Internal Auditor, for the open commission seat in District 6.
In addition to running a successful Jamaican restaurant, Malcolm is the founder of two nonprofits: Farm to Neighborhood, which seeks to expand access to nutritious and affordable food, and the Culinary Kitchen of Athens, which provides shared kitchen space for local food trucks at a reduced cost. She serves on the board of the Athens-Area Chamber of Commerce and she’s currently the chair of the ACC Industrial Development Authority.
Johnson is best known for an extended period of controversy stemming from her time as ACC Internal Auditor. Most of it happened out of public sight, manifesting as a power struggle between Johnson and ACC Manager Blaine Williams. Johnson felt that she should have unfettered access to all government records, even if unrelated to her work and regardless of the burden it might place on ACC staff. Williams disagreed.
Johnson would later hold a press conference accusing Williams and Mayor Kelly Girtz of racial, gender and age discrimination. These charges were dismissed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After being fired for failing to perform her job duties adequately, Johnson sued the local government, claiming protection under the Georgia Whistleblower Act. In her legal complaint, Johnson accused Williams of mishandling over $4.8 million in public funds. She later admitted she had no concrete evidence to support this allegation and settled her lawsuit for the same amount as a severance package she previously declined.
The ACC Overview Commission took a close look at the auditor’s office under Johnson and compared her performance to previous auditors and to national standards. They found that Johnson only completed one major audit between 2018 and 2020, far below the standard of three audits a year.
Check out this timeline of events to learn more about the Johnson controversy, or take a look at APN’s recent article on Johnson’s lawsuit.
Johnson is running on a platform of government transparency, supporting the police department and cutting property taxes. Malcolm’s platform focuses on economic development, transportation infrastructure, public safety and affordable housing. Malcolm has been endorsed by Mayor Kelly Girtz and Farol NeSmith, widow of late Commissioner Jerry NeSmith.
Vote for Malcolm to promote economic development for small businesses and for a representative who can better work with current officials to provide results for District 6.
Vote for Johnson if you believe, despite a lack of evidence, that Williams inappropriately manipulated public funds and took actions to hide his misdeeds. Johnson may also be a good choice for those who would rather cut property taxes and better fund the police department than expand infrastructure.
Commission, District 8
Sidney Waters, better known as Mama Sid, is challenging Commissioner Carol Myers in District 8.
Waters, who served on the ACC Board of Education from 1996 to 2008, decided to run for commission after the murder of nursing student Laken Riley. Waters went on Fox & Friends shortly after announcing her candidacy to express concern about government transparency surrounding refugee resettlement and undocumented immigration in town. She opposes “sanctuary-like” policies, isn’t a big fan of bike lanes and wants to increase funding for public safety.
Myers’ platform has four main areas of focus. She wants more resources for the east side, including the proposed east side public library. She wants to ensure that Athens remains welcoming for all, including immigrants. She says she would have voted for the 2019 resolution in support of Athens’ immigrant community, in sharp contrast to her opponent. But Myers is best known for her advocacy for renewable energy. She wants the city to fight climate change while saving money and helping low-income residents with their utility bills. Myers is also a huge supporter of bicycle and pedestrian safety, having served as chair of the Athens in Motion Commission which is responsible for bicycle and pedestrian safety projects.
This is a non-partisan race, so candidates do not have to reveal their party identity. If it helps you decide, know that Myers is a Democrat and Waters is a Republican.
Vote for Myers if you support Athens’ transition to 100% renewable energy, if you want Athens to remain a welcoming community or if you just want to elect the more experienced candidate.
Vote for Waters if you’d rather cut taxes than build bike lanes, or if you’d rather Athens not be as welcoming to undocumented immigrants and refugees.
Disclosure: Myers has been an APN member since 2019.
Board of Education, District 2
Incumbent Claudia Butts is running to retain her seat on the ACC Board of Education this year. She’ll be challenged by Kirrena Gallagher and Mary Bagby.
Gallagher was elected to this seat in 2022, but she stepped down in the middle of her term to challenge Commissioner Melissa Link. Gallagher lost that contest and is now seeking to regain her seat on the Board of Education. Butts was appointed to fill out the remainder of Gallagher’s term, making the two about equal in terms of experience.
Bagby is a certified nursing assistant who has worked for the former Georgia Retardation Center and for Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols. She was a strong supporter of former ACC School Superintendent Demond Means. Bagby says she is running for the children and wants to do things right, but she is known for making controversial statements. At Link’s kickoff party, Bagby told the audience, “People have told me not to talk about God because ‘they already think you’re crazy.’ So if I start talking about the Devil, it will validate that I am. I am not crazy.”
Check out Flagpole’s article about this election here. For a more favorable view of Bagby, you can read her interview with Cedar Shoals students here.
Uncontested races
Most judge positions, ACC Commission Districts 4 and 10 as well as Board of Education Districts 4, 6 and 8 are uncontested.
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