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Related Photos

  • Mike Babb, left, chairman of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners, listens as his opponent in the upcoming election, Ron Ownby speaks during a candidate forum on Tuesday night at Ryman Hall. (Misty Watson/The Daily Citizen)

    wc candidate forum1.jpg

  • Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood, left, listens as Jim Stafford, who is running against him this year, speaks during a candidate forum on Tuesday at Ryman Hall. (Misty Watson/The Daily Citizen)

    wc candidate forum2.jpg

Discussion

June 20, 2012

Crowd turns out to hear Whitfield candidates

Charles Oliver charlesoliver@daltoncitizen.com

More than 100 Whitfield County residents learned a little more Tuesday night about the candidates on the July 31 general primary ballot.

More than two dozen candidates got the opportunity to introduce themselves to the voters at a forum hosted by the Dalton Tea Party and the Whitfield County Republican Party. With so many candidates, time was limited to about three minutes each. That was just enough time for the candidates to tell a little about their background and why they were running for office.

But several audience members said that information helped them.

“This has been a great way to get to know the candidates better. It’s one thing to read what they have to say, but to hear them say it themselves — to hear the tone of their voice and whether they have conviction in their voice — that really makes a difference,” said Dalton resident Gary Bramblett.

Bramblett, who said this was the first time he had attended a Tea Party event, said there are several qualities he is looking for in a candidate.

“I want to see intelligence, conviction,” he said.

Tea Party member Ed Painter said the meeting helped voters who attended put a name with the face.

“In a local election that’s really important. Sometimes people look at the names on the ballot and they don’t really know who those people are,” he said.

Though the forum was co-sponsored by the Republican Party, Democratic candidates were also invited. Sheriff Scott Chitwood and Whitfield County Board of Education District 1 candidate Nicky Starling, both who will be running on the Democratic ticket, took the opportunity to address the audience.

“We came out tonight to support our candidates, especially our sheriff,” said Margaret Ball, a member of the Georgia Democratic Party state committee and one of several Democrats in the audience.

The candidates who spoke were:

• State Sen. Charlie Bethel, R-Dalton.

• Rep. Jay Neal, R-LaFayette, and his challenger in the Republican primary for state House District 2, Steve Tarvin.

 • Bruce Broadrick, Dennis Mock and David Renz all of whom are seeking the Republican nomination for state House District 4.

 • Rep. Tom Dickson, R-Cohutta.

• Sheriff Scott Chitwood and former sheriff Jim Stafford, who is challenging him as a Republican.

• Whitfield County Clerk of Superior Court Melica Kendrick and challengers Susan Miller, Jodi Stuckey and Jessica Swinford, all of whom are Republicans.

• County Surveyor Joe Evans.

• Probate Court Judge Sheri Blevins.

• Whitfield County Magistrate Judge Sidney Baxter and his challenger in that nonpartisan race, Randy Evans.

• Whitfield County Magistrate Judge Kaye Cope and her challengers in that nonpartisan race, Phillip Croy, Don Allen Garrett and Jerry Leonard.

• Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Chairman Mike Babb and his challenger in the Republican primary, Ron Ownby.

• Whitfield County Board of Commissioners District 2 member Harold Brooker

• Whitfield County Board of Commissioners District 4 member Greg Jones and his challenger in the Republican primary, Lynn Laughter.

• Whitfield County Board of Education District 1 member Thomas Barton, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger Nicky Starling.

• Tony Stanley, who is seeking the Republican nomination for Whitfield County Board of Education District 3. He is the only candidate seeking that post.

In addition, Joan Edwards spoke for U.S. Rep, Tom Graves, R-Ranger, who was in Washington. Graves currently represents Georgia’s 9th Congressional District but redistricting has moved him into the new 14th District.

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