The Walker County Board of Commissioners is set to hold its regular monthly meeting Thursday, May 7, at 6:30 p.m. at the Walker County Courthouse Annex in LaFayette.
The Chattooga County Republican Party will host a candidate forum on Saturday, May 9, giving local residents an opportunity to hear from candidates and engage with those running for office.
The event is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chattooga County Memorial Home, located at 818 Memorial Drive in Summerville.
Organizers say the forum will allow candidates to meet with voters and discuss key issues ahead of upcoming elections. A table rental fee of $250 is required for candidates wishing to participate.
Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by May 2. A $15 registration fee will be collected, which includes lunch.
For more information, contact Chattooga County Republican Party Chairwoman Meredith Rosson at 706-331-5547 or by email at chattoogacountyrepublicanparty@gmail.com.
Chattooga County voters delivered decisive Republican victories in both of Tuesday’s special election runoff races, with Clay Fuller winning the U.S. House District 14 contest and Lanny Thomas capturing the Georgia State Senate District 53 seat. Official Georgia results show Fuller won Chattooga County with 2,546 votes, or 69.81 percent, compared to 1,101 votes, or 30.19 percent, for Democrat Shawn Harris. In the Senate race, Thomas defeated John Bentley “Jack” Zibluk with 2,686 votes, or 74.38 percent, to 925 votes, or 25.62 percent.
Democratic candidate Jack Zibluk has congratulated Republican Lanny Thomas following Tuesday night’s runoff in Georgia’s 53rd State Senate District.
Update 8:13 PM:
Fuller Leads 14th District, Thomas Ahead In State Senate Race As Returns Continue
WZQZ News — Updated election returns from Tuesday night show Republican Clay Fuller now leading Democrat Shawn Harris in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District special runoff, while Republican Lanny Thomas continues to hold a strong lead over Democrat John Bentley “Jack” Zibluk in the State Senate District 53 race.
In the 14th Congressional District contest, the latest numbers show Fuller with 26,043 votes, or 52.02 percent, compared to Harris with 24,016 votes, or 47.98 percent.
In the State Senate District 53 runoff, Thomas is ahead with 6,555 votes, or 64.86 percent, while Zibluk has received 3,552 votes, or 35.14 percent.
While the state results page shows all localities listed in the summary, not all precincts are necessarily fully reported yet, meaning vote totals could still change as additional returns are processed.
Election officials will continue updating results throughout the evening.
Earlier this evening:
Election returns are coming in tonight across Georgia’s 14th Congressional District and State Senate District 53, and the early numbers are showing a split between Chattooga County and the district as a whole. In the 14th District congressional runoff, Republican Clay Fuller is leading in Chattooga County, while Democrat Shawn Harris is holding a narrow district-wide advantage in the latest unofficial results.
According to the numbers shown in the latest update, Harris has 51.48 percent of the vote district-wide with 16,806 votes, compared to Fuller’s 48.52 percent and 15,840 votes. In Chattooga County, however, local returns show Fuller with a substantial lead over Harris. The latest district-wide tally displayed 7 of 10 localities reporting in the congressional race.
In the State Senate District 53 runoff, Republican Lanny Thomas is leading Democrat John Bentley “Jack” Zibluk in the latest unofficial returns. The posted totals show Thomas with 61.09 percent, or 4,765 votes, compared to Zibluk’s 38.91 percent, or 3,035 votes. The latest update showed 4 of 5 localities reporting in that race.
Both contests are being closely watched in Northwest Georgia, with vote totals expected to continue shifting as additional precincts report.
These results remain unofficial until certified by election officials.
State Senate candidate Lanny Thomas is providing a positive health update after suffering a life-threatening medical emergency earlier this month, saying he is improving daily and plans to continue his campaign.
An update has been released on the health and campaign status of Republican State Senate candidate and former Trion Mayor Lanny Thomas following a recent medical emergency.
Democratic State Senate District 53 candidate Jack Zibluk has announced he is suspending campaign activities following the recent medical emergency involving his opponent, Republican candidate Lanny Thomas.
Qualifying has officially ended for the May 19 primary election and the November 3 general election, setting up several contested races for the Floyd County Commission.
In Floyd County Commission Post 1, incumbent Rhonda Wallace will face a Republican primary challenge from Shane Cowan.
In Post 4, incumbent David Thornton is being challenged in the Republican primary by Bryon Eugene Benefield. The winner of that race will face Democrat Fred Adams in the November general election.
The Post 5 seat, currently held by Scotty Hancock, is open as Hancock is not seeking re-election. Ronnie Kilgo, Cleve Jackson, and Tonya Eden Shepard will compete in the Republican primary, with the winner advancing to face Democrat Shonna Bailey in November.
Voters in Chattooga County will head to the polls Tuesday to take part in two important special elections, one for Georgia State Senate District 53 and another for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. Both races were triggered by recent political changes and will determine who fills the remaining terms in those seats.