About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2020)
8A Weekend Edition - July 18-19, 2020 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com LOCAL Your guide to 2020 elections With the coronavirus pandemic, new voting machines and fierce battles for U.S. Senate in addition to several down ballot races, the 2020 election season is busy and long. We’ve collected all of the items that are set to appear on ballots through the rest of this year to help you keep everything straight. For information about your voting status and sample ballots, visit the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page. Information is also available at the Hall County website. Additionally, the state has rolled out new voting machines this year. Here’s how to use them. Absentee voting is encouraged due to COVID-19. An absentee ballot application is available on the Hall County website. General Primary runoff In Hall County, the following local seats will be on the ballot. To view your sample ballot, visit mvp. sos.ga.gov. Voters must select either a Republican or Democrat ballot. When: Aug. 11, with early voting weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 20 through Aug. 7 Where: Early voting will be held at the Brenau Downtown Center, North Hall Tech Center, Spout Springs library and East Hall Community Center; Aug. 11, voters will need to cast their ballots at their regular polling place U.S. House of Representatives, Georgia’s 9th District ■ Andrew Clyde, R ■ Matt Gurtler, R ■ Devin Pandy, D ■ Brooke Siskin, D Georgia Senate, District 50 ■ Stacy Hall, R ■ Bo Hatchett, R General Election When: Nov. 3, with early voting weekdays Oct. 12- 30 and Saturday, Oct. 24 In addition to the presidential election, here are some of the statewide and local races on the ballot. U.S. Senate Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Kelly Loeffler to replace retiring Johnny Isakson in 2019. Now, the seat is up for election for the first time since Isakson’s departure. The race is considered a “jungle primary” as multiple representatives of each party face one another on one ballot. ■ Al Bartell, independent ■ Allen Buckley, independent ■ Doug Collins, R ■ John “Green” Fortuin, Green Party ■ Derrick E. Grayson, R ■ Michael Todd Greene, independent ■ Annette Davis Jackson, R ■ Deborah Jackson, D ■ Jamesia James, D ■ A. Wayne Johnson, R ■ Tamara Johnson- Shealey, D ■ Matt Lieberman, D ■ Kelly Loeffler, R ■ Rod Mack (write-in candidate) ■ Joy Felicia Slade, D ■ Brian Slowinski, libertarian ■ Valencia Stovall, independent ■ Ed Tarver, D ■ Kandiss Taylor, R ■ Raphael Warnock, D ■ Richard Dien Winfield, D NINTH GOP ■ Continued from 1A National economy Clyde: “President Trump has done more to promote economic prosperity in this nation than any president since Ronald Reagan. This pandemic has created challenges, but I know President Trump can get our economy roaring again. In Congress, I will help him push his free- market, America-first agenda.” Gurtler: “We’ve got to get the economy back going. With the stimulus bills, I don’t know how this is sustainable. We keep adding to the national debt. Our founding fathers said the greatest threat to our national security is the public debt ... and we keep kicking the can down the road, so it’s very Andrew Clyde Age: 56 Occupation: gun store owner Political experience: first run for office Residence: Jackson County concerning.” COVID-1 9 response Clyde: “Our president and governor have both done an incredible job navigating this unique crisis. I am proud of Gov ernor Kemp for having the courage to reopen our state. We must keep our country open to ensure our economy recovers and, as Americans, use com mon sense when it comes to battling this virus. Sick and vulnerable people should act accordingly by sheltering in place or social distancing, but I Matt Gurtler Age: 31 Occupation: home builder Political experience: has served two terms as Georgia’s House District 8 representative Residence: Tiger don’t believe we need gov ernment mandates crush ing our small businesses.” Gurtler: “We don’t want to infringe upon people’s rights. I’m promoting per sonal responsibility and social distancing. That’s what we should be doing. I don’t believe in mandating masks or ... shutting down of businesses. I think people should decide that on their own, as long as they’re being personally responsible for the people around them ... This is a serious issue, but we also have to under stand our rights don’t get NINTH DEM ■ Continued from 1A National economy Pandy: The pandemic and (economy) “are directly tied,” and that means people need to “be wearing masks, socially distancing, getting tested and making sure their kids understand the importance of that and are doing it as well. And that they are encouraging their friends to do it, as well.” Siskin: “This economy ...is getting worse, and as the COVID-19 (cases) go up, there may be more people out of work. So, we need to pass (more stimulus) that’s going to give more aid to our citizens. Small busi nesses are suffering. I’m very pro-small business, and I feel like they need the most help.” Devin Pandy Age: 46 Occupation: retired from U.S. Army Political experience: first run for office Residence: Commerce Brooke Siskin Age: 51 Occupation: small business owner and social activist Political experience: unsuccessfully sought House seat in 2012 Residence: Gainesville COVID-19 response Pandy: “I would hope that everyone would look more to what our profes sionals giving scientific data are telling us... and not looking to any individual without appropriate expe rience or background to tell us what they want us to believe. This is a pandemic. The best way to get us back to opening up ... is by wear ing those masks.” Siskin: “I feel as if there should be a task force of medical individuals that can give more informa tion out on this virus and the importance of wearing a mask and the latest on testing and all that. These are uncertain times, and we need to have people that are leaders concerned about what’s happening in our society, so we don’t put more people at risk.” Racial equality/ police reform issues Pandy: “We are moving to give Black Americans U.S. Senate ■ Jon Ossoff, D ■ David Perdue, R iJ ELECTION 2020 | GEORGIA SENATE DISTRICT 50 RUNOFF U.S. House of Representatives, Georgia’s 9th District Winners of Aug. 11 runoff Georgia House of Representatives, District 29 ■ Pat Calmes, D ■ Matt Dubnik, R, incumbent Georgia House of Representatives, District 30 ■ Emory Dunahoo, R, incumbent ■ Leigh Miller, D Hall, Hatchett to compete in Aug. 11 runoff BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com Stacy Hall and Bo Hatchett, both from Habersham County, will compete in the Aug. 11 Republican runoff to represent District 50 in the Georgia Senate. The winner Aug. 11 will face Democrat Dee Daley on the ballot in November. District 50 includes part of East Hall. Here’s a look at each candidate and their views on key issues: Georgia House of Representatives, District 103 ■ Timothy Barr, R, incumbent ■ Clifton Marshall, D Georgia Senate, District 50 Dee Daley, D, will face the winner of the Aug. 11 Republican runoff taken away because we have a pandemic.” Racial equality/ police reform issues Clyde: “I believe all people are created equal by God and we are one race, the human race. I believe America is a place where we can denounce the evils of racism, pre serve our history and sup port our law enforcement. Don’t let the liberal national media convince you that we can’t do all three at the same time.” Gurtler: “We don’t need to be defunding our police whatsoever. You have to have rule of law. We have to stand with our law enforcement 100%. We need to get back to civility. We see this throughout our country, and it’s abso lutely crazy what the left is doing is doing destroy ing things and trying to destroy our history.” Jeff Gill the rights they deserve, but it’s not going to stop there. After that, we have to look at every other marginalized group in this country. We have to make sure indig enous people have their rights restored, and (make) sure that the LGBTQ com munity has the same civil rights as everyone else.” Siskin: “Growing up in the South, I realize that people are set in their ways. But we have to think about we’ve come to this point in our lives where inequal ity is being shown.... There should be (more federal legislation), but where I think (change) will come from is the Supreme Court, which makes the laws of the land.” Jeff Gill Economy Hall: “When we have a crisis, a lot of times govern ment will, in a genuine effort to want to help, sometimes overstep or overreach. That sometimes can limit our constitutional rights, but it also can have unintended consequences and at times can deter businesses. So, my effort would be just to simply remove, as much as we can, government from the process, perhaps cut down some regulations and remove other bureaucratic burdens from the government and allow them the space they need to grow.” Hatchett: Hatchett said he hopes to implement Presi dent Donald Trump’s economic agenda on the state level and support local businesses as the economy recovers from COVID-19. “We have to get Georgians back to work,” he said. “That starts with supporting small businesses and also supporting local agricultural industries that are the engine of Northeast Georgia. The engine of Georgia is agriculture.” COVID-19 response Hall: Hall said he opposes a mask mandate but said people should do what they can to take precautions to pre vent the spread of COVID-19 and promote overall health. “I do believe that all of us have a personal responsi bility to take care of our own health and the health of our neighbors to make sure that we’re using common sense approaches to limit as much as possible not only the spread of the virus, but just to take care of everyone’s health in general,” he said. Hatchett: Hatchett said he is opposed to a mask mandate. “I think it’s your constitutional right to decide how to best protect yourself against this type of virus,” Hatchett said. “If you are vulnerable, I would probably suggest wearing a mask. I don’t think it’s a government’s role to mandate anyone.” Demonstrations and police funding Hall: “I certainly believe that all of us are created equal in the image of God, and the Bible calls us to love God and love others.... As we love others, we need to be listening to them,” Hall said. He said he opposes movements to cut police funding. “Every area in the country that has defunded the police has just spiraled out of control and crime has shot through the roof,” Hall said. “... I stand with our law enforcement, who in this environment are absolutely under attack.” Hatchett: Hatchett said he is “opposed to any sugges tion about defunding the police” and as a legislator would work to ensure law enforcement have adequate funding. Stacy Hall Age: 50 Experience: Hall and his wife Ivy own a real estate development business. He was elected to the Habersham County Board of Commissioners in 2016 and is the board’s current chairman. Residence: Habersham County Bo Hatchett Age: 30 Experience: Hatchett is an attorney in Cornelia and owns a small real estate business. Residence: Habersham County
