Time is running out for residents who want to take part in next month’s primary election in Georgia.
Voters in Chattooga County will be asked to return to the polls on April 7, 2026 to vote in two runoff elections. The runoffs were a result of no candidate getting more than 50% of the vote in the Special Election for the Georgia 53rd Senate District and the 14th U.S. Congressional District races.
Qualifying for local races in Chattooga County ended on Friday, March 6, 2026, and voters will see one contested race in the upcoming Republican Primary for the Chattooga County Board of Education.
In the District 2 school board race, incumbent Tiffany T. Lawrence qualified as a Republican and will face challenger Norma Peterson in the primary contest.
In District 3, incumbent Lori Ann Brady qualified as a Republican and drew no opposition.
In District 4, incumbent Bonnie Kinnamont Fletcher also qualified as a Republican and will appear on the ballot unopposed.
Meanwhile, in the nonpartisan race for State Court Judge, incumbent Jon Dennis qualified for re-election with no opposition.
With qualifying now complete, the District 2 school board seat will be the only locally contested race among those offices listed, while the remaining candidates secured spots on the ballot without challengers.
Today is the final day of early voting in the upcoming Special Election. Voters in Chattooga County will be voting for a candidate to fill the seat vacated by Colton Moore in the Georgia Senate. Also, voters will be casting their ballot in the 14th District U.S. Congressional Race to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in the U.S. House of Representatives. All early voting in Chattooga County takes place at the Chattooga County Registrars Office, located at 10017 Commerce Street in Summerville. Voting hours today are from 8:30 AM until 5 PM. Bring a picture ID when you come to vote. Next Tuesday, Election Day, all voting will take place in local precincts across the county. Voting on Tuesday will be from 7 AM – 7 PM. No voting will take place at the Registrars Office on Election Day.
Both the Chattooga County Republican Party and the Chattooga County Democratic Party have announced qualifying details for local candidates seeking to run for the Chattooga County Board of Education seats up for election in 2026: District/Seat #2 (Trion area outside the City of Trion), District/Seat #3 (Menlo and surrounding areas), and District/Seat #4 (Lyerly and the southern side of the county).
The Chattooga County Republican Party has officially announced qualifying dates for local Republican candidates seeking elected office in 2026.
Qualifying will begin Monday, March 2, 2026, and conclude at noon on Friday, March 6, 2026. Hours will run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
Qualifying will take place at 136 Highway 48 in Summerville (Law Offices, PC). Candidates must submit qualifying fees by cashier’s check or money order made payable to the “Chattooga County Republican Party” in the amount specified for the office being sought.
The notice was signed by Meredith Rosson, Chairwoman of the Chattooga County Republican Party.
Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact party leadership ahead of the qualifying deadline for additional details.
The Chattooga County Republican Party will hold its January meeting Tuesday, January 13, at 6:30 p.m. at Jefferson’s Restaurant, 10096 Commerce Street, in Summerville.
Trion Mayor Lanny Thomas used a Thanksgiving message to the community to announce that he will be running for the Georgia State Senate in District 53. In a video released Thursday, Thomas shared holiday greetings alongside family and friends before revealing that his time as mayor is nearing an end and that he is preparing for the next step in public service.