Thomas County Political Page 2000
General Election results for the state and Thomas County - November 7, 2000
Proposed state constitutional amendments and statewide referendum questions
Results of the General Primary Election in Thomas County
Results of the Presidential Primary in
Thomas County and Georgia
Offices that Thomas County citizens voted for in 2000
President US Senator Congress
Public Service Commissioner (2)
JudgesProbate Court Judge
Clerk, Superior Court Sheriff Tax Commissioner
Coroner Chief
Magistrate
Solicitor-General of State Court
State Court Judge County Commission District 2
County Commission District 4
County Commission District 6
County Commission District 8
County Board of Education 2
County Board of Education 4
County Board of Education 6
State Senator District 8 State Senator District 11 State Representative District 179
State Representative District 180
District Attorney
Registered write-in candidates
President of the United States
Republican George W. Bush.
Democrat Al Gore.
US
Senator
Qualifying for the non-partisan election to fill the remaining four years of
the term of late Paul Coverdell, who died July 18, began Wednesday, August 2,
and lasted until noon Friday, August 4. After qualifying ended, two of the
candidates withdrew. The election is November 7, 2000. The winner has to have
50% plus one to win; if no candidate wins more than 50%, there will be a
run-off between the top two finishers November 28.
--Republican Lewis Jordan dropped his effort to be a US Senator from Georgia on
Wednesday, August 2. That left Republican former US Senator Mack Mattingly as
the only major candidate other than the current holder of the seat, Democrat
Zell Miller. Governor Roy Barnes appointed Miller, a former Governor of
Georgia, to the seat after Coverdell died. There were eight other minor
candidates qualifying. In a statement to reporters, Jordan said “In the best
interest of party unity and after careful consideration of what I believe is in
the best interest of my family, I have chosen not to run for the United States
Senate.” He said he would work to insure the Senate seat would go to a
Republican.
--In the three days of qualifying during the first week of August, Miller and
Mattingly, qualified Wednesday to run in the special election. Miller has
already raised $1 million for his campaign in the seven days he has known he
would be the appointed Senator. Three candidates qualified Wednesday, one on
Thursday and four on Friday.
--On Monday, August 7, two candidates withdrew from the US Senate
race.Republican Moreton Rolleston Jr., 82, and Democrat Henrietta Canty, 71, a
former state legislator, pulled out. Pulling out at the beginning of October
was Princella Dixon, a 52-year-old black Republican businesswoman from
Jonesboro who ran unsuccessfully for Congress from Atlanta in the mid-1980s.
There are now seven candidates campaigning for the rest of Coverdell’s Senate
term. Former governor and Democrat Zell Miller and former US Senator and
Republican Mack Mattingly are considered the front runners. The rest of the
field includes lesser-known candidates: Green Party candidate, Jeff Gates, 54,
of Atlanta; a Libertarian, Paul MacGregor, 41, of Alpharetta; free-lance writer
from Savannah, Winifred "Winnie" Walsh, 68; Ben Ballenger, 53, a
Summerville attorney; and Bobby Rudolph Wood, 61, of Duluth.
Candidates for Nov. 7, 2000 Non-Partisan Special Election for U.S. Senate to fill the unexpired term of Paul Coverdell.
Ballenger, Ben
9165 Rome Blvd
Summerville, GA 30474
Phone: (706) 857-5322
Occupation: Lawyer
Ben Ballenger, 53, says he is an independent but ran as a Democrat in the 2000
primary for a county commission seat in Chattooga County. He is from Summerville.
Gates, Jeff
4584 Lake Village
Atlanta, GA 30338
Phone: (404) 386-6643
Occupation: Attorney -- Author
Jeff Gates, 54, is an attorney and writer from Atlanta, the Green Party
candidate, and a teacher in the MBA program at Emory University.
MacGregor, Paul Robert
9475 Stoney Ridge Lane
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Phone: (770) 753-6466
Occupation: President, CEO; eTiburon Corporation
Paul MacGregor, 41, of Alpharetta, graduated Georgia Tech, is a e-commerce
businessman and is a Libertarian.
Mattingly, Mack F.
4315 10th Street
St. Simons Island, GA 31522
Phone: (912) 638-5430
Occupation: Businessman
Mack Mattingly is 69 and was a Republican US Senator from Georgia from 1980
when he defeated then Democratic Senator Herman Talmadge until 1986 when he was
defeated by Democrat Wyche Fowler. Among the jobs he held since 1986 was
assistant Secretary-General for Defense at NATO and US Ambassador to the
Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean.
Miller, Zell
709 Miller Street
Young Harris, GA 30582
Phone: (706) 376-1584
Occupation: Teacher
Zell Miller, 68, was appointed to the Senate by Governor Roy Barnes. He was
Governor from 1991 to 1999, Lieutenant Governor for 16 years before that.
Walsh, Winnie
313 East Charlton Street
Savannah, GA
Phone: (912) 236-4588
Occupation: Retired Free Lance Writer
Winifred Bridget McLoone Walsh, 68, is a free-lance writer from Savannah.
Wood, Bobby Rudolph
3871 River Mansion Drive
Duluth, GA 30096
Phone: (770) 449-4410
Occupation: Real Estate Company Owner and Broker
Bobby Rudolf Wood, 61, of Duluth, real estate broker and former chairman of the
Gwinnett County school board. He ran unsuccessfully for governor as a
Republican in the 1990 primary.
US Congress Second District:
Incumbant Sanford Bishop has qualified for re-election in the Democratic
Primary.
--Dylan Glenn will make a second try at being Georgia's Second District
Congressman as a Republican. In the 1998 Republican primary, Glenn was defeated
by an Albany businessman, Joe McCormick, for the Second Congressional District
nomination. The current incumbent Congressman, Albany Democrat Sanford Bishop,
went on to win re-election against McCormick in the general election. Bishop
had no opposition in the 1998 Democratic primary. In the Thomas County vote for
the second congressional district Republican nomination, Dylan Glenn had 1,220
votes, 44.5%, to Joe McCormick's 1,520 votes, 55.5%. In the overall district
vote for the Republican primary election in 1998, Glenn had 8,828 votes, 47.3%,
to McCormick's 9,820 votes, 52.7%. The incumbent congressman, Democrat Sanford
Bishop of Albany, got 47,616 votes with no opposition in the Democratic
primary. In the Thomas County general election 1998, Sanford Bishop lost the
county with 4,532 votes, 48.6%, to Joe McCormick's 4,790 votes, 51.4%. In the
overall second district vote, Bishop won re-election over McCormick with 77,953
votes, 56.8 %, to McCormick's 59,306, 43.2 %. In an interview the 30-year old
Glenn said, "Congressman Bishop is a nice man but he hasn't provided the
type of leadership that we need into the twenty-first century. I have strong
feelings that we should have a better advocate for south Georgia in the
Congress." Glenn said he has Washington experience as an aide in the
Office of Policy Development under President Bush, role as a liaison in the
nomination confirmation of US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and six
years with Jensen & Company, a political consulting firm. Glenn is a native
of Columbus and has a bachelor's degree from Davidson College in Davidson, N.C.
He has also worked for US Senator Thad Cochran, a Republican from Mississippi
and then for the George Bush for President Campaign in 1988 where he served as
an assistant to Director of Research Jim Pinkerton. In 1989, Glenn participated
in the the creation of the Earth Conservation Corps, a national charitable
organization dedicated to providing at-risk youth opportunity through
environmental conservation work. In 1992 and 1996, he was an adviser to the
Republican National Conventions in Houston and San Diego. He has also served as
an adviser to the chairman of the President's Commission on Minority Business
Development. In 1994, he worked with a Republican political action committee,
recruiting candidates and assisting in congressional campaigns. He has served
as a GOPAC instructor for candidate training seminars. In February 1999, Glenn
founded the South Georgia Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit agency
based in Albany.
Public Service Commissioner:
--The current office holder, David L. Burgess, who was appointed to the post,
defeated former PSC commissioner Mac Barber in the primary.
--Qualifying as a Republican for the post is Elbert (Al) Bartell.
Public Service Commisioner:
--The incumbent, Stancil Wise, jr., of Marietta, qualified in the Republican
primary.
--Jim "Big Jim" Boyd, of Duluth, owner of www.uganews.com, defeated
Michael A. DiPietro, 2120 Shadowood Drive, Marietta, a real estate agent, in
the Democratic primary.
Court of Appeals Judges
--The incumbent on the bench seat up for election, John J. Ellington, of Macon,
qualified in the non-partisan primary.
--The incumbent on the bench seat up for election, M. Yvette Miller, of
Atlanta, qualified in the non-partisan primary.
--The incumbent on the bench seat up for election, Herbert E. Phipps, of
Albany, qualified in the non-partisan primary.
--The incumbent on the bench seat up for election, Marion T. Pope, jr., of
Canton, qualified in the non-partisan primary.
--The incumbent on the bench seat up for election, J. D. Smith, of Gainsville,
qualified in the non-partisan primary.
State Supreme Court Judges
--The incumbent on the bench seat up for election, George H. Carley, of
Decatur, qualified in the non-partisan primary.
--The incumbent on the bench seat up for election, Carol W. Hunstein, of
Decatur, qualified in the non-partisan primary.
--The incumbent on the bench seat up for election, Hugh P. Thompson, of
Milledgeville, qualified in the non-partisan primary.
Superior Court Judges Southern
Circuit (Brooks, Colquitt, Echols, Lowndes and Thomas Counties):
--The incumbent on the bench seat up for election, Harry J. Altman, II, of
Thomasville, qualified in the non-partisan primary.
--The incumbent on the bench seat up for election, Richard M. Cowart, of
Valdosta, qualified in the non-partisan primary.
--The incumbent on the bench seat up for election, H. Arthur McLane, of
Valdosta, qualified in the non-partisan primary.
Judge, Thomas County Probate
Court:
Incumbant Sallylu Hart, 4780 Hartsmill Road, Pavo, qualified for re-election in
the Democratic primary.
Clerk,
Superior Court:
David Hutchings, jr., 205 Montrose Drive, Thomasville, qualified for
re-election in the Democratic primary.
Sheriff:
R. Carlton Powell was effectively re-elected as Sheriff of Thomas County during
the General Primary July 18. He defeated his Democratic challenger, Gregg
Hobbs, in that election. There was no Republican to qualify for Sheriff, so
Powell will have no opposition in November's General Election.
Tax
Commissioner:
Shirley Prevatt, 346 Clyde Griffin Road, Thomasville, was the only candidate to
qualify for re-election.
Coroner:
--Sam Brown, 101 Cherry Street, Thomasville, qualified for re-election as a
Democrat.
--Raymond Cook, 306 Wheet Street, Thomasville, an insurance agent for American
General, qualified for coroner as a Republican.
Chief
Magistrate:
Grace Garland, 2209 Old Monticello road, Thomasville, was the only person to
qualify to run for re-election.
Solicitor-General of State
Court:
Joseph McGraw, 511 East Jefferson Street, was the only qualifier for
re-election.
State
Court Judge:
Elliott McCollum, jr., was the only qualifier for re-election.
County Commission District 2:
Moses Gross, 116 Crestwood Drive, Thomasville, was the only qualifier for
re-election.
County Commission District 4:
--Richard Smith, the incumbent in the post, of 101 Hartsmill Road, Pavo, won in
the General Primary against his Democratic opponent, Richard "Rick"
Orso, 46, of 883 Vonier Road, Pavo. Smith will apparently be re-elected to
another term on the county commission.
--The candidate that had won the Republican Party’s nomination at the primary
election, Shirley NeSmith, said Friday, July 28, that she would not run. She
was the only person to qualify for nomination. NeSmith said she was withdrawing
because she needed the time to take care of her invalid mother. NeSmith was the
only Republican to qualify for the county commission District 4 post. Early
Friday, Doug Silvas, the charman of the Thomas County Republican Party, said
the party had the authority to name a candidate to run for the post up to 60
days before the election, in this case, by September 8. At that time, Silvas
said he expected the executive committee to appoint a suitable candidate, if
someone came forward, at their regular meeting August 15. However, later in the
day Friday, Silvas and election officials with the Thomas County Probate Court,
said a further reading of the state election law indicated a different
procedure: the state committee of the party, or a designated committee, had to
make a decision on selecting a replacement for a withdrawn candidate elected by
a primary by 4:00PM the next business day -- in this case, Monday, July 31. If
the party committee did not make a decision to select a new nominee, then the
position would be vacant and Smith would have no opposition for re-election to
the county commission. In the case of a write in for the commission post, the
state law is somewhat clearer. Anyone who wants to be a write in candidate on
the general election ballot has to give notice of their candidacy no later than
the Tuesday after the first Monday in September prior to a general election; in
the case of the 2000 general election, that is September 5. The state law also
says no one can be eligible a write in candidate except in a general election
and no person is eligible as a write in candidate in a general election if that
person was a candidate for nomination of election in the same office in the
immediately preceding primary. That would mean that any qualified resident of
county commission District 4 would be eligible for election, except Rick Orso,
who was a candidate for the post in the Democratic Primary and lost to Richard
Smith.
County Commission District 6:
--James Miller, 441 South Hansell Street, Thomasville, will run for re-election
as a Republican.
--Mary Jo Beverly, of 426 South Hansell Street, Thomasville, was the only
person to qualify to run for the post as a Democrat. Beverly listed her
occupation as homemaker-farmer and is the wife of Ken Beverly of Archbold
Hosptial,
County Commission District 8:
--Tim Sherrod says he is not a candidate for re-election to his commission seat
and he is not a candidate for any elected post in 2000.
--Joe Fallin, owner of Fallin’s Barbecue on Pinetree Boulevard, qualified as a
Democrat for the District 8 seat on the commission. Fallin served on the county
commission in 1983 and 1984. He is 58 years old, a native of Pavo, a 1960 graduate
of Thomasville High School and attended Duke University for two years.
-- J. Elaine Mays won the General Primary Election as a Republican candidate
for County Commission District 8. Her Republican opponent was Gary Jones, 53,
of 125 Mystic Pines Drive, Thomasville. Mays lives at 341 Mystic Pines Drive,
which is off Summerhill Road east of Thomasville in the unincorporated part of
the county. She is a 30-year resident of the county, originally coming from
California. Since late 1999, she has been working as coordinator of Family
Connections, a state funded agency serving children and families. Mays
described her job as bringing children and families in need in contact with
state and local services that can help them. Mays worked for the City of
Thomasville for 23 years and also served as Director of Community Development
for the city. She left the city in January 1995 to serve as director of
personnel at Vashti, a private agency under contract with the state serving
children with needs. Mays said of her candidacy for the county commission,
"I can bring something to the table based on work that I've done with the
city."
County Board of Education 2:
--Edward Vonier, the Republican incumbent, did not run for re-election.
--Qualifying for the county school board District 2 post as a Republican is
Mark Clark, of 7686 Salem Road, Boston. He was the only candidate to qualify in
either party.
County Board of Education 4:
John Stephenson, the incumbent, 33481 GA-3, Meigs, was the only candidate to
qualify.
County Board of Education 6:
Cecil Stewart, the incumbent in the post, of 3629 Stewart Road, Ochlocknee, was
the only one to qualify.
State Senator District 8:
Tim Golden was the only candidate to qualify for the seat.
State Senator District 11:
Harold Ragan was the only candidate to qualify.
State Representative District
179:
Wallace Sholar was the only one to qualify for the post.
State Representative District
180:
--John Bulloch qualified for re-election as a Republican.
--Fred Dorminy, of 1304 Arden Drive, Thomasville, qualified as a Democrat for
the State Representative District 180 seat now held by incumbent Republican
John Bulloch. The district represents most of Thomas County except for a
portion of the southwestern part of the county and a western portion of
Thomasville, which is in House District 179. Dorminy is an Associate Professor
at Thomas University in Thomasville. He retired almost 6 years ago as
Superintendent of the Thomasville City School System. Dorminy is originally
from Cordele, Georgia. In 1980, Dorminy succeeded in winning a contested
election for the Superintendent's position in the Wilkes County school system
in Washington, Georgia. He ran unopposed for that position in 1984, then left
in 1986 to take the appointed Superintendent's position in the Thomasville
system. Dorminy said he was asked to run for the State Representative post by
local citizens, but when Governor Roy Barnes and House Speaker Tom Murphy asked
him to run, Dorminy agreed to campaign. Dorminy said, "I'm not running
because I want a job, but I want to do something good for Thomas County. Now I
have the time to do what I can do." He said there were two priority issues
he wanted to focus on, education and economic development. Dorminy said the
education reform proposals of Governor Barnes are important and needed, but
that he was not completely sold on them. He said he wanted the opportunity to
make a contribution to those ongoing reform proposals. Dorminy said the
Governor's OneGeorgia proposals to bring economic development to rural Georgia
was very important. He said it was likely that the House was going to keep a
Democratic majority, "and I can get something done and do some good for
the community by representing the county as a Democrat." Dorminy said
being a member of the majority party in the House would make sure Thomas County
got what it deserved in state help for economic development.
District
Attorney:
--The incumbent in that post, J. David Miller, of Valdosta, was the only
qualifier for that post.
Registered Write-in candidates:
There will be a chance to write in your candidate's name on the ballot – but
only if they have registered to be a write in candidate. If you write the name
in the wrong place or do not include the office they are running for, you could
lose your vote. But as long as the intent is clear and the office identified,
the vote will be counted. You can bring your own pen or pencil or use the one
supplied by election officials. If you vote for Michael the Mouse or Donald the
Duck, it will not count -- votes for candidates who are not registered will not
be counted.
The candidates registered to be write-ins in Thomas County are:
President --
James Harris (Socialist)
Ralph Nader (Green)
Howard Phillips (Constitution)
Joe Schriner (no party affiliation)
Gloria Dawn Strickland (no party affiliation)
Vice President --
Winona LaDuke (Green)
US Senate --
M. Luke Averitt
Princella Howard Dixon
Here is a summary of the proposed state constitutional amendments and statewide referendum questions on the November 2000 General Election ballot.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Constitutional Amendment 1
- "Shall the Constitution be amended so as to
provide for selection of a replacement for any member of the General
Assembly who has been initially convicted of a felony?"
--This proposal provides that upon the initial conviction of any member of the
General Assembly for any felony in a trial court of this state or the United
States, the member shall be immediately suspended from office and a replacement
member shall be elected to serve for the duration of the suspension. The
suspension lasts until the end of the member's term or until the member's
conviction becomes final or the conviction is overturned, whichever is
earlier. The proposed amendment ensures legislative representation during
the suspension of a member of the state Senate or House of Representatives upon
initial conviction for a felony. The election of a replacement member is
the same as the procedure for filling a vacancy in the General Assembly.
Constitutional Amendment 2
- "Shall the Constitution be amended so as to provide for a
homeowner's incentive adjustment for ad valorem property tax relief?"
--This proposal provides for an adjustment on the ad valorem property tax
return of each taxpayer claiming the state-wide homestead exemption. The
amount of the adjustment may be equivalent to a homestead exemption of up to
$18,000.00 of the assessed value of the homestead or the taxpayer's ad valorem
tax liability on the homestead, whichever is lower. Each year the General
Assembly may appropriate the amount of the tax credit as grants to local
governments and school districts for homeowner tax relief. The procedures
and conditions for the adjustments and grants shall be subject to the
provisions of general law.
Constitutional Amendment 3 -
"Shall the Constitution be amended so as to authorize the General
Assembly to provide a program of compensation for law enforcement officers who
become physically disabled, but not permanently disabled, as a result of
physical injury incurred in the line of duty and caused by a willful act of
violence and for firemen who become physically disabled, but not permanently
disabled, as a result of physical injury incurred while fighting a fire, which
program shall entitle an injured law enforcement officer or fireman to receive
monthly compensation from the state in an amount equal to such person's regular
compensation for the period of time that the law enforcement officer or fireman
is physically unable to perform the duties of his or her employment, not
exceeding 12 months and with certain exceptions?"
--This proposal authorizes the General Assembly to provide for a program of
compensation for injuries incurred by law enforcement officers and firemen who
become physically disabled but not permanently disabled in the line of
duty. Monthly compensation from the state in an amount equal to such
person's regular compensation is authorized for the period of time that the law
enforcement officer or fireman is physically unable to perform the duties of
employment for a period up to a total of 12 months. Satisfactory evidence
of disability shall be required and such benefits shall be subordinate to
workers' compensation benefits, disability, and other compensation benefits
awarded from an employer and shall be limited to the difference between the
benefits actually paid by the employer and the amount of the person's regular
compensation. Any law enforcement officer or fireman who receives payments under
the state indemnification program for permanent disability is excluded from
this compensation program.
Constitutional Amendment 4
- "Shall the Constitution be amended so as to authorize
the General Assembly to provide by law for indemnification with respect to
public school teachers, administrators, and employees who are killed or
permanently disabled by an act of violence in the line of duty, a nonlapsing
indemnification fund for such purposes, and dedication of revenue from special
and distinctive motor vehicle license plates honoring Georgia educators to such
fund?"
--This proposal authorizes the General Assembly to enact an indemnification
program for public school teachers, administrators, and employees who are killed
or permanently disabled by an act of violence in the line of duty and to
establish a non-lapsing fund for such purposes with revenue from special and
distinctive motor vehicle license plates honoring state educators.
Constitutional Amendment 5
- "Shall the Constitution be amended so as to provide that the
General Assembly may provide by law for a program of indemnification with
respect to the death or permanent disability of any state highway employee who
is or at any time in the past was killed or permanently disabled in the line of
duty?"
--This proposal authorizes the General Assembly to create a program of
indemnification with respect to the death or permanent disability of any state
highway employee who is or at any time in the past was killed or permanently
disabled in the line of duty. Funds shall be appropriated as necessary for
payment of such indemnification and for the purchase of insurance.
Constitutional Amendment 6 -
"Shall the Constitution be amended so as to provide that marine vessels
may be classified as a separate class of property for ad valorem property tax
purposes, and such class may be divided into separate subclasses for ad valorem
purposes and to authorize the General Assembly to provide by general law for
the ad valorem taxation of marine vessels including, but not limited to,
providing for different rates, methods, assessment dates, and taxpayer
liability for such class and for each of its subclasses and need not provide
for uniformity of taxation with other classes of property or between or within
its subclasses?"
--This proposal authorizes the creation of a separate class of property for ad
valorem property tax purposes to be known as marine vessels and authorizes the
creation of separate subclasses of marine vessels for tax purposes.
The General Assembly is authorized to provide for different rates, methods,
assessment dates, and taxpayer liability for such class and need not provide
for uniformity with other classes of property or for uniformity among the subclasses
of marine vessels. The portion of any ad valorem tax on marine vessels to
be retained by the state shall be as provided by law. Marine vessels are
defined as all vessels used or capable of being used as a means of
transportation on water, except for seaplanes.
Constitutional Amendment 7
- "Shall the Constitution be amended so as to increase from five years to
seven years the time for which state court judges must have been admitted to
the practice of law?"
--This proposal increases the experience requirement for eligibility for the
office of state court judge by requiring that such persons shall have been
admitted to practice law for seven years. The proposed amendment changes
the requirement from five years to seven years' experience and would not apply
to state court judges elected or appointed in the year 2000 or earlier.
PROPOSED STATEWIDE REFERENDUM QUESTIONS
Question A - "Shall
the Act be approved which exempts from ad valorem taxes certain fixed and
mobile farm equipment used by family owned qualified farm products
producers?"
--This Act grants family owned farms an exemption from all ad valorem taxation
for farm tractors, combines, and all other farm equipment other than motor
vehicles used in the production of agricultural products. If approved by a
majority of the voters, the Act becomes effective on January 1, 2001, and
applies to all tax years beginning on or after that date.
Question B -
"Shall the Act be approved which increases from $300.00
to $2,500.00 the ad valorem tax exemption for all tools and implements of trade
of manual laborers?"
--This Act increases to $2,500.00 the personal property ad valorem tax
exemption granted to manual laborers residing in Georgia with respect to tools
and implements of trade. Current law exempts up to $300.00 of the actual
value of such tools and implements owned by each laborer. If approved by a
majority of the voters, the Act becomes effective on January 1, 2001, and
applies to all tax years beginning on or after that date.
Question C - "Shall
the Act be approved which provides that any person who is a citizen and
resident of Georgia and who is an unremarried surviving spouse of a member of
the armed forces of the United States, which member has been killed in any war
or armed conflict in which the armed forces of the United States engaged,
whether under United States command or otherwise, shall be granted a homestead
exemption from all ad valorem taxation for state, county, municipal, and school
purposes in the same amount as that to which a disabled veteran is entitled
under other provisions of law?"
--This Act grants to the unre-married surviving spouse of a member of the
armed forces of the United States killed in service during a war or armed
conflict a homestead exemption from all ad valorem taxation for state, county,
municipal, and school purposes in the same amount as that to which a disabled
veteran is granted by law. Current law only grants such an exemption to a
disabled veteran or the unremarried surviving spouse of a disabled veteran, and
the exemption amounts to $43,000.00. If approved by a majority of the voters,
the Act becomes effective on January 1, 2001, and applies to all tax years
beginning on or after that date.
Question
D - "Shall the Act be approved which provides an ad valorem tax
exemption with respect to the property of Elks Lodges?"
--This Act excludes Elks Lodges from all ad valorem taxation for state, county,
municipal, and school purposes provided such property is used exclusively for
charitable, fraternal, or benevolent purposes. If approved by a majority of the
voters, the Act becomes effective on January 1, 2001, and applies to all tax
years beginning on or after that date.
The Primary Election in Thomas County, July 18, 2000
For details on how each Thomas County election district voted in the General Primary, click here.
Thomas County voters passed the
Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and re-elected Carlton Powell as Sheriff
during the Primary Election Tuesday, July 18. Democrats nominated County
Commissioner Richard Smith again for the Commission District 4 seat, but he has
Republican opposition in November. In the Republican primary contest for County
Commission District 8, Elaine Mays win the chance to run for the post against a
Democrat in November. The turnout for Thomas County was 32%. The official
statewide voter turnout was calculated late in July by the Secretary of State's
office and was established as 26.7%; turnout ranged from 70% in Baker, Taliaferro,
Wheeler, Pulaski and Quitman Counties to 11.6% in Pickens County. .
--The sales tax passed all but one election district in the county; that was
the Ochlocknee District where the vote was 114-no to 104-yes. The overall vote
was 3,501-yes and 2,359-no, or 60% to 40%.
--Carlton Powell won the Democratic nomination for Sheriff by a vote of 3,680
to 1,447 for his challenger, Gregg Hobbs, or 72% to 28%. Hobbs won the Douglass
District 206 to 167 and won Harper District 401 to 284; the rest of the
districts were won by Powell. There was no one running for the Republican
nomination for Sheriff so Powell will have no opposition in November and will
be Sheriff for the next four years.
--In County Commission District 4, incumbent Richard Smith defeated Challenger
Rick Orso by 424 to 370, or 53% to 47%. Smith won Coolidge 126 to 59, won
Merrillville 90 to 65 and won Pavo 92 to 88. Orso won Central 81 to 56,
Fairgrounds 30 to 24 and the absentee vote 17 to 6. The two tied in Patten
30-30. Smith will now face the only Republican to run, Shirley NeSmith, in
November.
--For the County Commission District 8 seat now held by retiring Tim Sherrod,
Republicans nominated J. Elaine Mays over Gary Jones, 201 to 88, or 70% to 30%.
Mays won all the election districts, Central, Fairgrounds, Jerger and Scott,
but lost the absentee vote 10 to 7. In November, Mays will meet former County
Commissioner Joe Fallin who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for the
commission seat.
-- The panel that regulates electricity, natural gas, telephone rates, truck
and pipeline safety, the Public Service Commission, had two posts with
Democratic primary elections. In Thomas County, for Public Service Commission,
David Burgess got 60% of the vote to 40% for Mac Barber. In the other PSC contest
in Thomas County, Jim Byod won over Michael Dipietro, 90% to 10%. In the
statewide vote, the incumbent in the state Public Service Commission District
3, David Burgess, won the Democratic primary against Mac Barber. The 41-year
old Burgess served 17 years as a PSC staffer before Governor Roy Barnes
appointed him to the seat in 1998. Barber, 83, had served four terms on the PSC
before resigning to run for lieutenant governor in 1998. Burgess will face
Republican Elbert Bartell and Libertarian Dick Withington in November for the
post. In the statewide Public Service Commission District 5 contest, Jim Boyd,
64, a tree farmer from Duluth, defeated Michael DiPietro, 45, a Marietta real
estate agent. Boyd will face PSC incumbent Republican Stan Wise, and Libertarian
Wayne Parker in November.
--One person each qualified for
the State Representative District 180 post in the Democratic and Republican
primaries: Republican incumbent John Bulloch is the only candidate in that
party’s primary and Fred Dorminy is the only candidate in the Democratic
primary. Those two will meet in the November general election for a two year
term for that State Representative post.
--For county commission District 6, the incumbent, Jim Miller, was the only
qualifier as a Republican and there was one qualifier as a Democrat, Mary Jo
Beverly. Those two will meet in Novembers’ general election.
--In the election for Thomas County Coroner, the incumbent, Sam Brown,
qualified as a Democrat and a challenger, Raymond Cook, qualified as a Republican.
They will meet in the November general election.
--Thomas County citizens will also vote in the General Election for US
President, US Senator, Second District US Congressional Representative and two
state Public Service Commission posts.
Go to a page with the county district by district General Primary vote totals.
BUSH AND GORE WIN THOMAS COUNTY
For a district by district count of the results in Thomas County, click here.
--George W. Bush and Al Gore won the Thomas County vote during their
respective presidential primaries in the county Tuesday, March 7.
In all 17 precincts and the absentee ballots, both easily lead the other
candidates in the vote. There were 3,760 total ballots cast in the county out
of 19,270 registered voters for a voter turnout of 20%.
--In the Republican contest, George W. Bush had 1,871 votes, or 74.3%, and John
McCain had 493 votes, or 19.57%, for second place. In the rest of the field,
the only other active candidate, Alan Keyes had 121 votes, or 4.8%. The rest of
the Republican field were candidates that dropped out of the race before the
vote in Georgia; Gary Bauer had 8 votes, .31%, Steve Forbes had 4 votes, .15%
and Orrin Hatch had 2 votes, .07%. There were a total of 2,518 Republican
votes, which is 67% of the total votes cast in the county primary and 13% of
the registered voters.
--In the Democratic primary, Al Gore had 1,057 votes, or 85.1%, and Bill
Bradley had 157 votes, or 12.64%. There were a total of 1,242 Democratic votes,
or 33% of the total votes cast in the county primary and 6% of the registered
voters.
Here are the numbers from the
Georgia Primary
2,923 of 2,927 precincts -- 99%
Democratic primary:
Al Gore - 237,583 84%
Bill Bradley - 46,228 16%
Republican primary:
George W. Bush - 431,735 67%
John McCain - 179,282 28%
Alan Keyes - 29,652 5%
Gary Bauer - 1,966 >1%
Steve Forbes - 1,641 >1%
Orrin Hatch - 415 >1%
--Georgia Republicans have 54
delegates allocated to the Republican National Convention this summer. The
candidate who gets the most votes within each of Georgia's 11 congressional
districts is awarded 5 delegates per district. There are 33 delegates elected
in congressional district conventions on April 15. Also, there are 21 at-large
delegates who will be elected at the Georgia Republican State Convention May
19-20 in Savannah and be obligated to the candidate who gets the most overall
votes in Georgia..
--Georgia Democrats will send 92 delegates and 13 alternates to the national
convention. Fifty of the delegates will be chosen April 22 at congressional
district caucuses, but the allocation of delegates per district is uneven. The
breakdown is based on a formula derived from each district's support of Democratic
candidates in the '96 presidential and '98 gubernatorial elections:
Congressional Districts 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 and 11 get four delegates each,
Districts 6 and 10 get five delegates each and Districts 4 and 5 get six
delegates each. Each district except for 1, 9 and 11 also gets one alternate.
Thirteen delegates are reserved as unpledged for Democratic National Committee
members, Democratic members of Congress and the state party leader. There are
also two add-on unpledged delegates who will be chosen from nominees by the
state party chair and executive committee. Ten spots go to pledged party
leaders and elected officials, such as mayors from large cities,
statewide-elected officials, state legislative leaders, other elected officials
and party leaders. The final 17 delegates and five alternates are chosen by the
state Democratic committee from Democrats who file a statement of candidacy and
pledge of support by May 11. The Georgia Democratic Party is conducting
delegate selection workshops in each of the congressional districts.