By Barbara Augsdorfer, Editor for the Effingham Herald
A full slate of candidates has qualified for nonpartisan and partisan races for Effingham County in Georgia’s May 21 primary. The qualifying period closed at noon March 8.
Nonpartisan races will be decided in the May primary. Partisan races will be decided among the winners from each political party in the November General Election. In Effingham County, no candidates from the Democratic or any other party filed for a partisan race.
County nonpartisan races include: Board of Education posts 2, 3, and 5; chief magistrate, judge of the Superior Court, Ogeechee Judicial Circuit; state court judge, and probate judge.
County partisan races include: tax commissioner, coroner, county commissioner chairperson; county commissioner for districts 1 and 4; clerk of Superior Court; and sheriff.
To be eligible to vote in the primary, Effingham County residents must be registered to vote by April 22. Residents must register if they are a new resident to the county, or have moved to a new address since the last election. Registration may be completed online at the Secretary of State website: https://sos.ga.gov.
Qualified candidates in the nonpartisan races are:
Board of Education, Dist. 2
Jan D. Landing (incumbent)
Board of Education, Dist. 3
Troy Lamar Allen
Devin J. Jones
Board of Education, Dist. 5
Vickie G. Decker (incumbent)
Chief Magistrate
Scott A. Lewis
Judge of the Superior Court
Ronald K. Thompson
State Court Judge
Melissa Melton Calhoun
Stephen R. Yekel
Raymond Dickey
Probate Judge
David H. Zittrauer
Qualified candidates in the partisan races are:
County Commission Chairman
Damon Rahn (Rep.)
Alex Long (Rep.)
County Commission, Dist. 1
Frank Forrest Floyd (incumbent) (Rep.)
Alfred Bryant (Rep.)
Wallace Thomas (Rep.)
County Commission, Dist. 4
James Gerbasi (Rep.)
Scott Varnadore (Rep.)
Jeremiah Still (Rep.)
Craig Johnson (Rep.)
Beth Helmly (Rep.)
Tax Commissioner
Kelly Hoffner (Rep.)
Daniel Rodewolt (Rep.)
Tony Sapp (Rep.)
Coroner
David H. Exley (Rep.)
Clerk of Superior Court
Jason E. Bragg (Rep.)
Walt Lawson (Rep.)
Sheriff
Jimmy McDuffie (Rep.)
