The qualifying period for the upcoming May 24 primary is over, and, in Habersham County, there’s only one contested local race. District 3 County Commissioner Jimmy Tench faces opposition from two challengers in the GOP primary. Jimmy Dean and Jason Mark Smith are running against Tench in his bid for a second term.
District 2 commissioner Dustin Mealor is running unopposed for re-election, as are three board of education members – Russ Nelson (Dist. 3), Kristie Dover (Dist. 4), and Joey Duncan (Dist. 5).
No one qualified to run in the special election for the open Post 5 Clarkesville City Council seat, so, qualifying will reopen next week. Candidates may qualify between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. March 14 and 15 at the Habersham County Board of Elections Office located in the county administration building at 130 Jacob’s Way, Suite 101, in Clarkesville.
The seat has been vacant since December when Clarkesville City Councilman Steven Ward died unexpectedly.
No Democrats qualified to run for local office.
Here’s the slate of local candidates who will be on the Habersham County ballot in May:
District 2 County Commission
Dustin Mealor
District 3 County Commission
Jimmy Dean
Jason Mark Smith
Jimmy Tench
District 3 Board of Education
Russell H. Nelson, III
District 4 Board of Education
Kristie Lynn Dover
District 5 Board of Education
Joseph Duncan
ALSO SEE: Political newcomers qualify to run in White County primary
