5 candidates qualify for District 13 Senate seat

TIFTON — Five Republican candidates qualified for the Senate District 13 Special Primary election by noon last Friday when the qualifying period ended. The special primary election will be held Tuesday, August 5 in Ben Hill, Crisp, Irwin, Lee, Tift, Turner, Worth and a portion of Wilcox counties. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

“The special election is considered a continuation of the July 15 primary,” said Jean Edwards, Tift County election supervisor. The only voters who will be allowed to vote in the August 5 special election will be voters who registered as Republicans in the July 15 primary.

If a run-off election is necessary, it will be held Tuesday, August 26.

The five candidates who qualified for the Senate District 13 seat vacated by Senator Joseph Carter are:

• John Dickey Crosby of Tifton

Crosby is a former Tift County Superior Court judge who announced he would seek the Senate seat in early July. He is a local attorney who practiced law from 1963 until he was elected to the bench in 1980. After serving as a Superior Court judge for 20 years, Crosby retired in 2000. He continues to service as a Senior Judge in courtrooms around the state.

• Horace Hudgins of Ocilla

Hudgins has been a district manager for Georgia Power for 36 years.

• Wally Roberts of Leesburg

Roberts is a Lee County Commissioner and retired Georgia State Patrol trooper who announced his candidacy for the Senate seat in late June. Roberts was a captain with the Georgia State Patrol and supervised operation of the agency in 22 south Georgia counties as a troop commander before he retired in 1995 after 25 years of service. He was elected to the Lee County board of commissioners in 2004.

• Rusty Simpson of Tifton

Simpson is a local attorney and a former Superior Court Judge who announced his candidacy for the Senate seat in late June. He has served as a member of the Tift County Board of Education and has been active in civic service in the Tifton community.

• Bob Usry of Smithville

Usry retired from he United States Army in 2000 after 30 years of service. He served on the Lee County Utility Authority for 14 years and surveyed nursing homes for the state of Georgia for 13 years. He has been in the cattle business since 1995.

Advance voting for the special primary will be held July 28 through August 1. Voters will be required to show photo identification when voting in person. Absentee ballots can be requested through Friday, August 1 and must be returned to the county registrar’s office by the close of business on Tuesday, August 5.

The special election was prompted when State Senator Joseph Carter decided to run for the Superior Court Judge seat to be vacated by Gary McCorvey.

To contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208.

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