Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts and state Rep. Deborah Silcox (R-Sandy Springs) will face challengers in the May 22 primary elections after candidate qualifying wrapped up March 9.
And almost all local Republican incumbents are set to face Democrat challengers on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. That includes a rematch of last year’s special election in state Senate District 32, where Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Marietta) beat Democrat Christine Triebsch. The unchallenged exception is Fulton County Commissioner Lee Morris of Buckhead/Sandy Springs’ District 3.
The following are the qualified candidates in key local primary races:
U.S. Congress
U.S. House District 6
Democrat: Kevin Abel, Steven Knight Griffin, Bobby Kaple, Lucy McBath
Republican: Karen Handel (incumbent)
Handel beat Democrat Jon Ossoff in last year’s epic special election for the Congressional seat. One of this year’s would-be challengers, Abel, is a Sandy Springs resident.
Fulton County
Fulton County Commission Chair
Democrat: Robb Pitts (incumbent), Keisha Waites
Pitts is defending a seat he won in a special election last year by beating Waites and former Sandy Springs City Councilmember Gabriel Sterling.
Fulton County Commission District 3 (Buckhead/Sandy Springs)
Republican: Lee Morris (incumbent)
Georgia Senate
State Senate District 32
Democrat: Christine Triebsch
Republican: Kay Kirkpatrick (incumbent)
The filing so far set up a rematch of last year’s special election, where Kirkpatrick beat Triebsch in a runoff.
State Senate District 40
Democrat: Sally Harrell, Tamara Johnson-Shealey
Republican: Fran Millar (incumbent)
Millar recently formally announced his re-election campaign with statements of bipartisan support from two Democratic leaders: current DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and former CEO Liane Levetan.
State Senate District 56
Democrat: Jim Guess Jr., Ellyn Jeager, Patrick Thompson
Republican: John Albers (incumbent)
Georgia House of Representatives
State House District 45
Democrat: Essence Johnson
Republican: Matt Dollar (incumbent)
State House District 51
Democrat: Josh McLaurin
Republican: Alex Kaufman
The candidates seek to replace longtime incumbent Wendell Willard, who is retiring and not seeking re-election.
State House District 52
Democrat: Shea Roberts
Republican: Gavi Shapiro, Deborah Silcox (incumbent)
State House District 80
Democrat: Matthew Wilson
Republican: Meagan Hanson (incumbent)
–John Ruch and Evelyn Andrews