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DEL.ICIO.USHandel boots three from ballot
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Secretary of State Karen Handel concluded Keith Gross, the lone Democrat facing party-swiching Republican Rep. Mike Jacobs of Atlanta, doesn’t meet residency requirements and shouldn’t be on the ballot.
Handel’s office said notices will be placed at polling places in House District 80 on Tuesday letting voters know that ballots cast for Gross won’t be counted.
Handel’s decision leaves the Democrats without an opponent against Jacobs, who won re-election in 2006 as a Democrat and then switched parties. Michelle Conlon has signed up to challenge Jacobs in the November general election as an independent.
In booting Gross, Handel, a Republican, was following the findings of an administrative law judge.
Handel also tossed Eric Underwood from the Atlanta Democratic primary race he was running against state Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta). Handel said Underwood didn’t own property or pay rent in the district. Notices at polling places in state Senate 36, which includes the Grant Park and Ormewood Park areas, will note his disqualification and say that votes for Underwood won’t count.
Orrock still faces opposition from tax advisor and financial planner Andre Jamal Jerry. Handel also disqualified James Powell in one of the Public Service Commission races, saying at the time he signed up for the contest, he was receiving a homestead exemption for a house he lived in outside of the district.
— James Salzer
Jim Galloway is out of town, but will return soon. If you’ve got news, pop an e-mail to our political team: editor Susan Abramson at sabramson@ajc.com; staffers Aaron Sheinin at asheinin@ajc.com; James Salzer at jsalzer@ajc.com; and Ben Smith at bsmith@ajc.com.
Comments
By Fun for a Change
July 14, 2008 2:48 PM | Link to this
How odd, Republican Handel advances the Repugnican cause by removing opposition as and when she can. Why am I not surprised? This woman is a one-woman (golly, I hate to think she is a woman maybe she isn’t) war on the Dems. She will do anything for the party, cheat the elderly, the poor, the defenseless out of their vote, remove any Dem she can, stoop as low as she has to go. Bet she was good at slinking under the limbo bar.
We will take her own next time. Yes we will.
Fun for a Change
By Scott Key
July 14, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this
Handel is the second coming of Katherine Harris. She must have been taking lessons. Maybe she’s just a Harris clone…. same initials…
By Garland Leaf
July 14, 2008 3:58 PM | Link to this
The recent unexpected move in the 11th hour by Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel was perhaps one of the lowest tactics to date in her political career! This woman…eh, man…or whatever she is, does not realize that she not only overstepped her boundaries by going against what an Honorable Judge has previously ruled was fair for Democrat Jim Powell, but she has further chipped away at the little belief that most Georgia residents still have in our political system when it comes to a fair & equal election process for us citizens. And, she has given a further bad name to the Republican Party by pulling that stunt to remove any legitimate competition that one of her own colleagues may have prior to the General election. EVERY GEORGIAN SHOULD BE SENDING E-MAILS, MAKING PHONE CALLS & RAISING H* OVER THIS MATTER, BECAUSE HANDEL’S CONTINUING TO MAKE SURE A BOARD OF ALL-REPUBLICAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONERS STAYS INTACT IS A GROSS INFRINGEMENT UPON THE FAIR & EQUAL VOTING RIGHTS OF GEORGIA TAXPAYERS! We, the voters of Georgia, have the right to elect Jim Powell for the Democratic candidate for the Public Service Commission! A position that has great impact upon attempting to lower our monthly utility bills & regulating the State’s natural gas distribution system instead of allowing the five-member Republican-only commission that is currently in place to continue to accept pay-offs from Georgia Power, telecommunication companies & other corporate lobbyists. SPEAK UP ATLANTA…SPEAK UP NOW! YOUR LIFE & THE LIFE OF YOUR LOVED ONE(S) DEPENDS UPON IT BY WAY OF BEING ABLE TO KEEP MONEY IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD INSTEAD OF PAYING RISING UTILITY BILLS BECAUSE GEORGIA REPUBLICANS HAVE REFUSED TO ALLOW A DEMOCRAT TO GET ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND ADVOCATE FOR US!
By Tabitha H
July 14, 2008 4:02 PM | Link to this
ATLANTA & ALL OF GEORGIA! Please get Karen C. Handel out of office! This woman needs to find a rock somewhere and crawl up under it. She’s such an embarrassment to the entire state!
By A Former Coworker
July 14, 2008 4:11 PM | Link to this
I used to work with Karen Handel years back when she was working with the (Senior) Bush-Quayle administration. The woman was a pompous, opinionated buffoon who thought she knew it all back then & from the look of things much hasn’t changed with her now. She’s pitiful. A classic backside kisser.
By Jeff
July 14, 2008 4:17 PM | Link to this
If the requirement is that you live in the district you represent (and yes, that IS a requirement for PSC, even though all positions are elected state-wide, go figure) and you are receiving a homestead exemption for a house outside of said district, either you are committing tax fraud (if you don’t actually live there) or election fraud (if you do).
In the first case, you should be under investigation by the IRS or GA equivalent and your opponents should use this against you in the election.
In the second case, the Secretary of State SHOULD remove your name from the ballot for a PSC position, as you do not meet the requirements to stand for election to that position.
How hard is this to understand people??
By Patricia Franklin
July 14, 2008 4:20 PM | Link to this
They say that when a person does not receive certain things in life its usually because God already knew what type of individual that person would turn into had he granted the desires of their heart. Maybe that’s why Karen was never able to have children…because God knew she is the kind who would eat her own to advance her career.
By Nancy Arnold
July 14, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
GEORGIA FOR JIM POWELL! GO POWELL!!!
By Bill
July 14, 2008 6:08 PM | Link to this
Why can’t ANYONE spell Erik Underwood’s name right? Man oh man…
By Brittany
July 15, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this
When I voted this morning in Little Five Points, I didn’t see any signs that votes for Erik Underwood would not count. Not that it matters, because Orrock is going to win by a landslide. Go Nan!!