Mangum wins sheriff; Moore new probate judge

Tuesday, August 21. 2012
Janis Mangum will be Jackson County's new sheriff on Jan. 1 and Sherry Moore will be the county's new probate judge.

With 16 of the 16 precincts reporting, the Aug. 21 election runoff results are:

SHERIFF

Ramone Gilbert--3155

Janis Mangum--5117 (62%)


PROBATE JUDGE

Sherry Moore--5371 (65%)

Donna Sikes--2898


9TH DISTRICT, U.S. REP.

Doug Collins--4313

Martha Zoller--3672

Election recount held: Probate judge numbers the same

Wednesday, August 8. 2012
A recount of the votes in last week’s election showed the same results as those released on election night.

Tracy Brooks, a candidate for probate judge of Jackson County, has asked for a recount of last week’s election results. Election superintendent Lori Wurtz said Wedneday afternoon that the results were the same.

Brooks had 78 votes less than the second place finisher, Donna Sikes. Brooks had 3,032 votes, while Sikes had 3,110. Sherry Moore had 3,502 votes.

Moore and Sikes are set to be in the run-off election on Aug. 21.

900 ballots cast so far in early voting

Wednesday, July 18. 2012
Early voting for the July 31 General Primary Election is under way now and 900 people have already cast their ballot.

Voting will take place at the Jackson County Administrative Building, Athens Street, Jefferson, Mondays through Fridays through July 27. Voting is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition, early voting will take place on Saturday, July 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the County Administrative Building.

The county will again offer five days of early voting at locations in Commerce and Braselton. Voting will take place Monday, July 23, through Friday, July 27, at the Commerce Recreation Department office at 204 Carson Street and at the Braselton police and municipal building at 5040 Hwy. 53. Hours at both locations will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Due to the anticipated turn out for this election, early voting is recommended to lessen your waiting time,” said Lori Wurtz, county election supervisor. “Also, a reminder that on Election Day between the hours of 9 and 4:30, any elderly voter (75 or older) or any voter who is disabled may request to come to the front of the line and vote at the next available voting booth.”

Seven candidates running for sheriff; BOC, BOE races set

Friday, May 25. 2012
When qualifying ended at noon on Wednesday, seven candidates had filed paperwork to be on the July 31 ballot in the sheriff’s race.
Those who qualified to run for sheriff as Republicans are:
•Ramone Gilbert
•Andy Garrison
•Janis Mangum
•Greg Vaughn
•Ronnie Norris
•Gerald E Moon
•Randy Moore

When qualifying ended, races were also set for several board of commissioners and board of education seats, including the following:

JACKSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CHAIRMAN
•Hunter Bicknell (incumbent)
•Tom Crow

JACKSON COUNTY BOC DISTRICT 1
•Guy Spicer
•Jim Hix

JACKSON COUNTY BOC DISTRICT 2
•Chas Hardy (incumbent)
•Jody Thompson
•Max Allen

JACKSON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DISTRICT 1
•Michael Cronic (incumbent)

JACKSON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DISTRICT 4
•Lynne Wheeler (incumbent)
•Lance McMurray [Full Story »] 

No election necessary in Jefferson

Friday, May 25. 2012
Mark Mobley was the only one to qualify for the vacant seat on the Jefferson City Council, so an election will not be necessary.

Mobley will be sworn in at the June meeting of the Jefferson City Council. He will fill the seat of councilman Bosie Griffith, who resigned April 1.

Donna Geiger to run for probate judge

Monday, May 21. 2012
Jackson County attorney Donna Geiger has announced her candidacy for probate judge of Jackson County.

After graduating from Winder-Barrow High School in 1981, Geiger served four years active duty in the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps. She received her B.S. from Texas A&M University in 1992 in construction management. She was employed as a project controls engineer for Fluor Corporation working on U.S. based and international oil and gas refinery projects.

Geiger received her J.D. from the University of Houston in 2002. After completing law school, Geiger returned home where she spent several years with the Atlanta-based law firm of King & Spalding LLP working in environmental litigation and U.S. Department of Justice reviews. Most recently, Geiger has been in private practice with an emphasis on elder law issues.

Geiger enjoys many outdoor activities, including vegetable farming and caring for livestock. Geiger is passionate about animal advocacy, supporting local and national animal rescue groups.

“As the sixth generation of my family to live on our family farm in Jackson County (near Braselton), I am very proud of its history,” she said. “I have a vested interest in the future of our county and look forward to serving our citizens.”

County voters strongly favor Gingrich in primary

Wednesday, March 7. 2012
Jackson County voters overwhelmingly favored Newt Gingrich on the Republican ballot in Tuesday’s presidential preference primary.
Gingrich received 56.25 percent of the votes cast in Jackson County on “Super Tuesday,” followed by Rick Santorum with 19.53 percent, Mitt Romney with 17.91 percent and Ron Paul with 5.62 percent.

Overall, 29.1 percent of the 29,642 registered voters in Jackson County cast a ballot on Tuesday, according to unofficial election results.

Gingrich was also the winner in Georgia in Tuesday’s presidential preference primary. The former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives received 47.2 percent of the votes among ballots cast for the Republican party, according to the secretary of state’s website.

Romney came in second in the state with 25.9 percent of the votes, followed by Santorum with 19.6 percent and Paul with 6.6 percent.

Mayor’s race set in Maysville, Nicholson

Thursday, September 1. 2011
When qualifying ended Wednesday afternoon in Maysville and Nicholson, races had been set for the mayor’s seat in both towns.

In Maysville, former mayor Richard Presley, council member Lynn Villyard and political newcomer Donna Chesonis had qualified. Incumbent Jerry Baker did not qualify.

Races were also set in Maysville for three of the four council seats on the ballot. Those who had qualified were:

Ward I: incumbent Clay Dorsey, Joel Hammond and Kathleen Bush

Ward II: Clyde (Junior) Hardy and Jerry C. Parr. Villyard currently holds this position.
[Full Story »] 

ELOST passes 1,305-569

Wednesday, March 16. 2011
Jackson County voters overwhelmingly voted Tuesday in favor of renewing the education local option sales tax (ELOST).

The referendum passed in a 1,305-569 vote with 70 percent of the voters casting a ballot in favor of the one-cent sales tax.

The sales tax could bring up to $100 million to the three school systems over the next five years.

Jefferson voters also passed in a 309-54 vote a bond referendum linked to the ELOST.

Six qualify for July 20 election

Thursday, April 29. 2010
When qualifying ended at noon Friday, six candidates had qualified for the July 20 county BOC and BOE races. But there is just one contested race for the BOE District 5 slot.

In state races, Senate District 47 has four Republicans running, with the winner racing a Democrat in November.

In the District 5 Jackson County Board of Education race, Steven Bryant, Hoschton, and Randall Skelton qualified. Incumbent Jill McEver is not seeking re-election.

In the District 3 county BOE race, Celinda Wilson was the only one to qualify. Incumbent Kathy Wilbanks, who serves as chairman of the BOE, is not seeking re-election.

In the county BOE District 2 seat, incumbent Tim Brooks was the only one to qualify.

In the District 3 seat on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, incumbent Bruce Yates was the only one who qualified.

In the District 4 BOC race, incumbent Dwain Smith was the only one who qualified.

Both of Jackson County's state House of Representative seats are up for election: District 31, currently held by Tommy Benton (R); and District 30, held by Tom McCall (R). Benton was the only one to qualify in District 31. In District 30, McCall and Marilyn M.J. Bridges (D) qualified.

The State Senate District 47 seat that covers Jackson County will also be on the ballot. Those to qualify were: Kelley Gary, Shane Coley, Doug Bower and Frank Ginn, all Republicans, and Tim Riley, a Democrat. Incumbent Ralph Hudgens (R) is running for state insurance commissioner.

In the State Senate District 49 seat that covers a portion of Jackson County, Butch Miller and Jimmy Norman, both Republicans, qualified.

U.S. senator Johnny Isakson is up for re-election, as is District 10 U.S. Congressman Paul Broun. Broun (R) and challenger Russell Edwards (D) qualified for the District 10 seat. As for the senate race, Isakson (R) and challengers R.J. Hadley and Mike Thurmond, both Democrats, had qualified.

At the state level, voters will decide elections for both Governor and Lt. Gov. this year. Other state elections include secretary of state, attorney general, state school superintendent, state agriculture commissioner, state insurance commissioner and state labor commissioner.
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