Could Macon Democrats Randall & Paris be facing possible Primary Challengers in July?

As the legislative session winds down, all eyes will turn to the 2012 elections & who will challenge who.

In Bibb County, Democrats Nikki Randall & Miriam Paris both could have challengers for their perspective seats in this upcoming July Primary.

Randall, who is the leader of the Bibb County Delegation haven't had a serious challenger for that seat in years & Paris, who won the seat after the late Robert Brown resigned to run for Macon Mayor could possibly;y get another challenge from her last opponent David Lucas in a district that now includes Washington & Hancock Counties.

The one issue that may very well spur challengers for their seats is the proposed Macon-Bibb County Consolidation Plan, depending on who you ask is good or bad for the City & County.

Randall will be a tough out for any potential challenger & Paris, although she enjoyed plenty of crossover support in the special election maybe the easier target given that she only been in office for a few months.

Now I'm not that well informed when it comes to Macon Politics, but the chances are better that 50/50 that both women will receive challengers for their positions in the July Democratic Primary.

The question is who will run against them? Could David Lucas make another run for the State Senate? Could some darkhorse come out of no where & challenge Randall? What about C. Jack Ellis? Ooh so many possibilities!

Reports are that State Senator Robert Brown is a 'GO" for a run for Mayor of Macon

Yesterday the Macon Telegraph reported that State Senator Robert Brown will most likely run for mayor of Macon in this years municipal elections. The source of this was City Councilwoman Elaine Lucas, who's husband State Rep. David Lucas (D-Macon) has said that he would run for Brown's open seat if that occurred.

A entry by Brown will make this one of the most interesting elections the city of Macon have ever seen. Incumbent Robert Reichert, ex-Mayor Jack Ellis, newcomer Paul Bronson, Macon-Bibb Co Firefighter have all announced their intentions for this race & possibly later on Council president Miriam Paris.

Reichert will be the early favorite to win, but he won't get the 60-65% he got during his first run for mayor. If I were Reichert, Id be worried about Brown, who has a strong political operation that has been credited in helping get out the vote for then congressman Jim Marshall in years in which looked like he was going down in defeat. He did lose last year in the GOP wave election to Austin Scott.

Brown's political acumen & savvy is not to be overlooked, despite his sometimes off the cuff remarks that has drawn the ire of his critics. The key will be can he (Brown) get a good percentage of the white vote, despite African-American voting bloc dominating the citywide elections? And can Reichert keep the support he garners from the black community during his first run when he bested 7,8 other black candidates to win the mayoral race in a rout?

And as to who may run for Brown's open seat, I mentioned State Rep David Lucas being a possible candidate, but can Lucas win outside of his heavily African-American district? Twiggs, Wilkinson & a portion of Houston Co are more swing areas that can go either way than his home base which is reliably democratic.

Expect more candidates to make a run for that senate seat once Brown makes his mayoral run official. One name I've heard is Paul Bronson who is also running for Macon Mayor. The 25 year Firefighter & member of Georgia Army National Guard would be a breath of fresh air for party that desperately needs new blood in its ranks.

Paul Bronson to run for Macon Mayor

25 Yr Old Paul Bronson, a firefighter for Macon-Bibb County will run for Mayor of Macon.

Bronson is a young entrepreneur that works for the Bibb County Fire Department.

He is a member of the Georgia Army National Guard, serving in the Georgia Army National Guard as a Second Lieutenant in the 48th Brigade in Macon, GA.

He is a graduate of Ft Valley State & Georgia Military College.

Describing his campaign as “New Leadership with a New Vision for a New City,” Bronson’s written announcement talks about coordinating government, business, churches, schools and law enforcement in a four-year plan to combat crime and improve local quality of life. He lists education, jobs and public safety as the city’s core challenges. Bronson is a democrat.

He'll face Incumbent Robert Reichert, Former Mayor Jack Ellis who announced on Saturday, & other possibilities such as State Senator Robert Brown & Council President Miriam Paris.

No Democrats Below South of Macon? Huh! None in Lowndes County?? Lord Have Mercy!!

Apparently there is still this notion that there are "NO" democrats living in South Georgia.

Yesterday I got a email from a former staffer for DuBose Porter unsuccessful run for governor saying that a person connected with the Democratic Party who wants him to work central Georgia for the Dems told him that besides Macon-Bibb County & Baldwin County that basically there aren't any democrats below the Gnat-line, (South of Macon). That is B.S!!!

This the type of mentality that needs to be changed among democrats here in Georgia when it comes to Rural Georgia.

And this person connected with the democratic party also told him that there were 0 democrats in Lowndes County according to "so called" numbers he'd seen.

ARE YOU KIDING ME?

Lowndes County has two democratic State Representatives & one democratic State Senator from that area & to say that lowndes County doesn't have any democrats down there is again....B.S.!

I've said this before & I;m gonna say it again: For democrats to be successful again in this state, they are going to have be competitive here on the countryside.

That's the bottom line!!

If they settle for just a regional approach of Metro Atlanta & urban canters like Macon, Albany, Columbus, Savannah, Augusta, Athens, etc for votes & just concede the rural vote to the GOP, then the party might as well be dead in Georgia.

This person needs to go back & do his homework before making such a misinformed statement. This person can't be from Georgia if he thinks that there are no democrats living here in Central & South Georgia. If so then he needs to be kicked to the curb!


I wonder what the Lowndes County Folks have to say about this? As well as the Central Georgia Folks as well