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
