TIFTON — Lee County Commissioner and retired Georgia State Trooper Wally Roberts (R-Leesburg) announced Monday that he will seek the Senate District 13 seat being vacated by Tifton’s Joseph Carter.

Roberts was a captain with the Georgia State Patrol and supervised the operations of the agency in 22 South Georgia counties as troop commander before retiring in 1995 after 25 years of service. He has served on the Lee County Board of Commissioners since being elected in 2004 in a runoff against Jackie McCorkle, who held the seat.

Roberts said that he continues to be active in his church, his community and in his business investments since his retirement. He said he believes public service is important and that his experience serving as commissioner of one of the fastest-growing counties in the state will serve him well as a state senator.

“Lee County’s budget is $20 million and the revenue is tight,” Roberts said. “I have learned to balance a budget both with the county commission and with the Georgia State Patrol.

“I am used to dealing with major issues and working as a team player.”

Roberts said he continues to donate his Lee County Commission salary back to Lee County.

“Given the budgetary constraints in Lee County, I have just never felt like I should take a salary,” he said.

One of the toughest budgetary issues faced by counties, Roberts said, is mandates for them to spend money by the state and federal governments.

“When they mandate counties to do something, they ought to fund it,” Roberts said.

Roberts said some of the most important issues facing the state senator are related to agriculture, infrastructure, industry creation and tax reform.

Roberts said he grew up the son of a sharecropper and intends to work hard for farmers. He said he believes the district’s infrastructure needs improvement, especially in the rural areas of the state, to be attractive to industry.

Roberts said he is particularly concerned with the current property tax system and supports reform.

“If elected, I pledge to act ethically and responsibly as a public servant,” Roberts said. “I will not waste the taxpayers’ money and I will be accessible to the people of the 13th District.”

Carter (R-Tifton) qualified in April to run for re-election to the Senate District 13 post but recently withdrew that candidacy and announced he would run to fill the Tift Superior Court Judge seat being vacated by Gary C. McCorvey.

Secretary of State Karen Handel said last week 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 the counties of Senate District 13 — Ben Hill, Crisp, Irwin, Lee, Tift, Turner, Wilcox and Worth.

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.