Rural Georgia 2012 Legislative Races to Watch

HD 151:
Gerald Greene (R-Cuthbert)
Bob Hanner (R-Parrott)

The two longtime rural Democrats switched parties after the 2010 election & their districts was paired together, forcing both men to run against each other. One may possibly retire, but that remains to be seen. The district is a lean democratic district

HD 138

Mike Cheokas (R-Americus)

Cheokas, former chair of the Sumter County Democratic Party also switched after the 2010 elections. The district now includes democratic leaning Chattahoochee County & it loses the more conservative southern portion of Sumter County. The district is a tossup/tilt democratic district




HD 144

James "Bubber" Epps (R-Dry Branch)

Epps was bombarded with questions during his last re-election about the possibility of switching parties but he vigorously denied he was planning to switch parties. After getting re-elected he immediately switched parties, angering local democrats. The district now includes Bleckley County & Northwest Laurens County. The district is a tossup




HD 150

Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin)

Hatchett took over as Rep of Laurens County after DuBose Porter left to run for governor in 2010. Hatchett defeated Physician Pablo Santamaria in the genera,l who I thought was the weaker candidate in the democratic primary which he defeated Mitch Warnock in the runoff. The district is tilt republican district, but depending on the democratic candidate can be won again by dems



HD 145

E. Culver "Rusty" Kidd (I-Baldwin County)

Rusty Kidd faces re-election to a district that includes more of southern Putnam County. Questions arose about his residency last year in which he lived outside of his district, but that has been fixed as the new district now includes more of Putnam County. Baldwin Co has suffered mass job loss over the past decade & this year maybe the year that this seat flips to the democratic column. The district is a tossup




HD 177

Open Seat (Democratic Leaning)

This seat was drawn as a majority-minority district. It includes the city of Valdosta. Expect many candidates to jump at the chance of representing this open house seat




HD 175

Amy Carter (R-Valdosta)

Carter, a moderate also switched parties & now serves as Nathan Deal's Floor Leader. She now has new territory that now includes democratic Brooks County, Republican Thomas County & a sliver of Lowndes County. Her position maybe help her in her bid to win re-election in this new district, but expect a democratic challenge to her in november. The district is a tossup




HD 149

Jimmy Pruett (R-Eastman)

Pruett loses Wilcox, Pulaski & Bleckley Counties & Pickup Telfair & Wheeler Counties, as well as Southern Laurens County. Pruett who was Sonny Perdue's floor leader is basically running in a new district. The district is lean republican. I'd be surprised if he doesn't receive a challenge to the newly redrawn district




HD 171

Jay Powell (R-Camilla)

Powell came to the legislature in 2006 after the retirement of longtime Democrat Richard Royal. Powell was personally escorted by then speaker Glen Richardson to qualify as a republican on the last day of qualifying. 171 now takes in North/North Central Decatur County. Mitchell County sizable AA population makes this a race that democrats win definitely target in november.




HD 180

Mark Hatfield (R-Waycross)
Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine)

This race will be one of the most interesting to watch. Hatfield who has been at the center of controversy sponsored a bill that would have required President Obama to provide certified proof of his birth to the Georgia secretary of state in order to appear on this year’s presidential primary and general election ballots. Spencer is the newly elected Rep out of Camden County who has been paired against Hatfield in the GOP primary this summer. Its possibly that Hatfield just may hold on to his seat against freshman Jason Spencer. I can't call this race, but its a safe republican seat.




HD 133

Kip Smith (R-Pine Mountain)

Smith was pulled over for DUI back in January which has lead to a primary challenge from John Pezold. Smith took over the seat from his father Vance Smith who was appointed as the GDOT Commissioner (he is no longer the commissioner) Smith, 30 hails from a safe republican district & I believe that like Ben Harbin, he will weather the storm & win re-election.




HD 158

Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro)

Former Democrat Butch Parrish has been in that seat since the mid 1980s & show no signs of slowing down. He hasn't had a real challenge to that seat in years, if not decades. Its highly....highly unlikely that he will ever lose his seat, but you never know. These are turbulent times in politics folks, so..............




HD 169

Chuck Sims (R-Ambrose)
Tommy Smith (R-Nicholls)

The two former democrats will battle it out in the GOP Primary for the right to represent this seat. Both men are very likable & well respected. No liberal/progressive democrat will win this seat....Oh, No! There are plenty of good solid BlueDogs down in that area & if the "RIGHT" Democrat comes forward, I can see this seat being high competitive.




HD 139

Lynmore James (D-Montezuma)

This seat now includes all of Dooly County, along with Macon, Taylor & southern Peach County

Incumbent Lynmore James (D-Montezuma) who is a friend of mine will step down after 20 years due to health issues. This seat is a solid democratic district. You have Businessman & Conservative Democrat Thomas Coogle, Jr, Peach Co Commissioner Michael Dinkins & Taylor Co Commissioner Patty Bentley. This will be a highly competitive race with a runoff likely between two of the three candidates. The district includes Macon County, which is the 3rd poorest county in the state.

Poor priorities, partisan politics ruled Legislature says Golden.

From Tim Golden in the Atlanta Journal Constitution::

Since the Republican Party assumed majority control of state government six years ago, Georgia has been sliding backward in almost every area that the governor and Legislature can influence

Our public schools have suffered from $2 billion worth of cuts in state Quality Basic Education funding, causing higher taxes on local property owners to make up the difference.

Manufacturing jobs have been lost by the hundreds of thousands.

Rural health care is on life support because of drastic cuts in Medicaid reimbursement.

Our transportation system’s failure to keep up with a growing population has gone unaddressed.

Seeking to recruit bio-medicine and related technology businesses and retaining academic leaders in the field of science is becoming more difficult.

And fiscally irresponsible policies during better economic times have left Georgia especially vulnerable to the recession, causing an unprecedented $3 billion budget deficit.

But as poorly as the legislative majority has performed since 2003, the 2009 session would have to be considered the worst in recent history. And that’s saying something.

Consider that from the first day of the session back in January, finding a solution for the transportation funding crisis was the state’s No. 1 priority. In metro Atlanta, drivers sit for hours in traffic, causing untold losses in productivity. In rural Georgia, we are at least 10 years behind the curve in making the road improvements needed for economic development.

The Senate voted Feb. 3 on a transportation funding plan, one of the first actions we took this session, calling for a one-cent sales tax to be voted on, collected and invested on a regional basis. The House of Representatives, meanwhile, insisted on a statewide sales tax to finance a predetermined list of transportation projects in selected areas.

But the two houses were unable to work out a compromise plan, primarily because the governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker were preoccupied with pushing through separate legislation to give them tighter control over transportation revenues and road-building decisions. For the second year in a row, helping Georgians get from point A to point B more efficiently was doomed by misplaced priorities at the top of the executive and legislative branches of government.

Regarding the new budget passed for fiscal year 2010, there is no question this was a difficult year because of the revenue shortfall, and cuts were inevitable. But the failure to beat back the governor’s insistence to eliminate homeowner tax relief grants will cost the average Georgia homeowner $200 to $300 on our next local property tax bill.

Partisan politics also reared its ugly head in the budget process when the Republican majority decided to withhold needed funding from districts represented by Senate Democrats because we had the audacity to offer a budget amendment that would have kept the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home in operation by reducing spending on a new luxury resort on Jekyll Island.

The lowlights of the 2009 session don’t stop there. The Republican majority couldn’t go without passing a few more unfunded mandates on counties and cities, while still prohibiting them from making their own decisions on Sunday alcohol sales. Thankfully, the House stopped a Senate bill outlawing potentially lifesaving embryonic stem cell research, but this is a battle we now have to fight year after year.

Georgians don’t expect much of the Legislature when we go to Atlanta each year. They do want us pass a budget that meets basic needs such as education and health care while respecting taxpayers. They want us to focus on the major problems, like transportation funding and unemployment. They want us to put public policy over partisan politics.

After the 2009 session, I wouldn’t blame them if they start expecting less and less.

> Sen. Tim Golden (D-Valdosta) is chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

By the way Golden has mentioned as a possible candidate for Lt. Governor or Governor.