Qualifying for Georgia elections begins

May 23rd, 2012

Georgia voters will go to the polls on July 31^st. So far, the most popular item on that ballot has been the transportation tax referendum. However, voters will also cast ballots in primary races for elected offices. Qualifying for those races began today. You can see who qualifies here.

If you want to run as a Democrat or a Republican, you have to go the State Capitol this week. If you’re running for Congress, the qualifying fee is about $5,000. That’s what Democrat John Lewis paid. He’s running for re-election to the 5^th Congressional district. Lewis has held the Atlanta centric seat since 1987.

“Experience should count for something,” Lewis said. “I think I’ve been a good Congress person. I think the people think I’ve been good and been responsive. They’ve been very good to me and I’ve tried to be good to them and that should count for something.”

Michael Johnson hopes it won’t count for much. The former Fulton County Superior Court Judge has qualified to run against Lewis in the Democratic primary. He says Lewis is an example of a politician who’s been in office too long.

“I believe we need a new perspective,” Johnson said. “New faces, new energy, new blood so that we can develop new relationships. Relationships not built on animosities. Relationships not built on doing things the way they were always done in the past.”

In the nearby 4^th Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Hank Johnson has qualified for re-election. The district stretches east from DeKalb County to parts of Newton County. Johnson knows much of the talk so far is about whether former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney will run for the seat as a Green party candidate.

“She’s a very opinionated person and she will come and share her views,” said Johnson. “But, so far, it’s only a rumor that she’s going to run. We haven’t heard anything from Cynthia yet.”

Requests to McKinney and the Georgia Green Party have not been returned yet. Democratic and Republican qualifying ends Friday.