Local candidates pick up challengers on final day of qualifying; Bethel unopposed for Court of Appeals

Published 5:07 pm Friday, March 9, 2018

Several local elected officials picked up challengers on Friday, the final day of qualifying

Dalton physician and entrepreneur Steven Lamar Foster qualified as a Democrat for U.S. House of Representatives District 14 Friday. He was the only Democrat to qualify for that race, so he will face incumbent Tom Graves, of Ranger, who was the only Republican to qualify for that race, in the November general election.

J. Scott Tidwell, pastor and funeral home assistant from Resaca, qualified for the Republican nomination for state Senate District 54 as a Republican Friday. He will face incumbent Dalton resident Chuck Payne, who qualified Monday, in the May 22 GOP primary. The winner will face Democrat Michael S. Morgan, who qualified Thursday, in the November general election.

Former Board of Commissioners member Mike Cowan qualified as a Republican for the District 1 seat on the board. He will face incumbent Barry Robbins, who qualified Monday, in the primary. Cowan held that seat for 14 years, from 1997 to 2010. He came off the board due to term limits.

Dalton native Charlie Bethel qualified for his seat on the Georgia Court of Appeals and faces no opposition. Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Bethel to the court in 2016 to fill the unexpired term of Nels Peterson, whom Deal elevated to the state Supreme Court. He is now seeking his first full six-year term. If elected, Bethel will become what is believed to be the first person from Dalton elected to a statewide office.

The only other local contested race in May is in Murray County, where incumbent Health Jones and Celeste Bargeron qualified as Republicans Thursday for the District 6 seat on the Board of Education.

Lee A. Shiver qualified as a Democrat to run for the state House of Representatives District 11 post. He was the only Democrat to qualify, so he will face incumbent Republican Rick Jasperse, who qualified to run for re-election on Monday, in November. District 11 covers parts of Murray, Gordon and Pickens counties.

Most local candidates qualified without opposition.

In Murray County, Mitch Wilson qualified Thursday as a Republican for the Board of Education District 5 seat currently held by Frank Loyd.

Incumbent Kelli Hicks Reed qualified as a Republican for Murray County Board of Education District 7 Wednesday.

Republican Kasey Carpenter of Dalton qualified for re-election to state House of Representatives District 4 on Tuesday.

On Monday, Whitfield County Board of Commissioners member Roger Crossen, District 3, qualified for re-election as a Republican. For the Whitfield County Board of Education, incumbents Rodney Lock, District 2, and Bill Worley, at large, qualified for re-election as Republicans. Joseph Farmer qualified as a Republican for the District 4 seat currently held by Louis Fordham, who is not running for re-election.

In Murray County, Connie Reed qualified for chief magistrate, a nonpartisan post, Monday. The current chief magistrate is Gale Buckner.

For state offices, the following incumbent Republicans qualified for re-election on Monday:

• John Meadows, state House District 5.

• Jason Ridley, state House District 6.

• Steve Tarvin, state House District 2.