Special primary scheduled to elect District 13 senator

By Angie Thompson/senior reporter

TIFTON — Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel announced Wednesday that a Special Primary election will be held Aug. 5 to fill the Republican nomination for state Senate District 13. Only candidates qualifying as Republicans can qualify for the seat.

Handel’s election division received Joseph Carter’s affidavit of withdrawal as a candidate for re-election to the post.

Carter, who qualified for re-election as senator in April, announced last week — along with local attorneys Ronnie Wheeler and Melanie Cross — that he would seek election as judge of Tift Superior Court. Chief Judge Gary C. McCorvey announced last week he would not seek re-election.

Handel stated in a press release that, because of the timing of Carter’s withdrawal, Carter’s name will appear on the ballot for those who vote in person or absentee in the General Primary. Notifications that votes for Carter will not be counted will be posted in precincts in Ben Hill, Crisp, Irwin, Lee, Tift, Turner, Wilcox and Worth counties of Senate District 13.

Since no Democratic candidate qualified for Senate District 13, there was no Democratic primary for the seat. Handel said the Special Primary will be held only for the Republican nomination as provided for in the law. The qualifying period for those wishing to seek the office is 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. July 16; 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on July 17; and 8 a.m. until noon on July 18. Qualifying will be held in the Elections Division of the Office of Secretary of State, 1104 West Tower, 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive S.E., Atlanta, GA 30334-1505 and in the Secretary of State’s South Georgia Office at 238 E. Second St. in Tifton. The qualifying fee is $400.

Advance voting for the Special Primary will be held July 28 through Aug 1. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Aug. 5 in Ben Hill, Crisp, Irwin, Lee, Tift, Turner and Worth counties and in a portion of Wilcox County.

Anyone residing in state Senate District 13 who is not registered to vote can do so through July 8 to be eligible to vote in the Special Primary Election. Voter registration forms can be obtained in Tift County at Election Central and at the Tifton-Tift County Public Library. Voter registration forms can also be obtained from the Secretary of State’s Web site at http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/voter_registration/voter_reg_app.htm.

To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.

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