They exist in almost every statewide election -- candidates for high office that few, if any, voters have ever heard of.
These long-shot candidates often bring diverse viewpoints to their races, but with little money and less name identification with voters, they are often relegated to also-ran status.
In the race for governor this year, three Democrats and three Republicans are struggling to break through the noise at the top. For some, like state Sen. Jeff Chapman (R-Brunswick), a solid and respected legislative career has not translated into a splash in a governor's race crowded with better-known and better-funded candidates. Yet, for others, like Ray City Mayor Carl Camon in the Democratic race, or Otis Putnam, an hourly worker at Wal-Mart in Brunswick, on the Republican side, the idea of winning the July 20 primary, a possible runoff in August and a general election in November can leave many scratching their heads.
"We don't have a real handle on why people run who do not stand a chance," said William Boone, the dean of the graduate school at Clark Atlanta University and a political scientist.
Sometimes, Boone said, candidates are "true believers," those dedicated souls who are convinced they possess the answer to righting a wrong, to fixing a problem and that "at the end of the day, what they have put in personal resources and time and effort will turn out to be good."
But, typically, that does not happen.
"Generally, no," Boone said. "We're talking about money, visibility, facial recognition and name recognition. Usually those candidates do not have any."
Stanley Caress, a professor of political science at West Georgia University in Carrollton, said long-shot candidates "play a conflicting role in American politics."
It's a core function of American democracy that anyone "who meets the basic qualifications should have the right to seek public office," he said. And, occasionally upsets do happen, such as in the South Carolina Democratic primary for U.S. Senate last month, where a man with no campaign infrastructure -- no Web site, no commercials, no offices, no events -- won the nomination over a better-known former state lawmaker.
But typically, Caress said, the more common outcome is long-shot contenders deny a front-runner a majority, forcing a runoff, which can be costly for taxpayers and a burden on voters to return to the polls.
None of the current long-shot candidates for Georgia broke more than 4 percent in the most recent poll, although only a couple of percentage points separate some of them from other candidates considered to be competitive. For example, Chapman gets 4 percent in the most recent Republican poll, while former Sen. Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) is at 6 percent. The difference? Johnson had $1.74 million in his campaign account as of March 31, the most recent filing. Chapman had about $18,000.
It's not an inexpensive proposition to run, either. Just to get one's name on the ballot costs $4,180.18. That figure will often cull the field, Boone said.
Many candidates, he said, will try to educate voters "up until qualifying time, and when qualifying comes, then the class is out. Those who go further than that and plunk down several thousand dollars, you really get true believers there."
Republicans
Jeff Chapman
Age: 50
Home: Brunswick
Occupation: Waste management executive
Education: Graduated from Glynn Academy
Political experience: Two terms, Glynn County Commission; state Senate, 2005-current
Issues: Focus tax policy and incentives on small businesses; emphasize water conservation and new reservoirs; replace state income tax with sales tax.
Web site: www.jeffchapmanforgovernor.com
Ray McBerry
Age: 42
Home: McDonough
Occupation: Radio and television advertising producer
Education: Education degree from Georgia State University; master's degree in theology from Trinity Baptist Seminary
Political experience: Ran for governor in 2006, winning 11.6 percent of the Republican primary vote against incumbent Gov. Sonny Perdue.
Issues: States' rights; ending abortion; replacing income and property taxes with a state sales tax; illegal immigration.
Web site: www.GeorgiaFirst.org
Otis Putnam
Age: 35
Home: Brunswick
Education: Attended North Georgia College
Occupation: Wal-Mart
Political experience: Former second vice chair, Glynn County GOP
Issues: Eliminate fees for new small businesses; limit regulations on education; tort reform; complete state control of Lake Lanier.
Web site: http://otisputnamga.tripod.com
Democrats
Bill Bolton
Age: 62
Home: Marietta
Occupation: Consultant
Education: Engineering degrees, Georgia Tech
Political experience: Has run unsuccessfully for mayor of Marietta. Ran for governor in 2006, receiving 2.2 percent of the vote in Democratic primary.
Issues: Expand commuter rail, promote family values through nonreligious groups, eliminate tax loopholes.
Web site: www.billboltongovernor.org
Carl Camon
Age: 42
Home: Ray City
Occupation: Educator
Education: Master's and education specialist degrees from Valdosta State University
Political experience: Has been city councilman and five-term mayor of Ray City.
Issues: Wants to increase teacher pay, restore discipline to classrooms, adjust or eliminate tax loopholes, provide incentives for small businesses and families wanting to receive financial training and counseling. He wants to explore high-speed rail and install electric power stations along interstates to encourage the use of more energy-efficient vehicles.
Web site: www.camonforgovernor.com
Randal Mangham
Age: 55
Home: Stone Mountain
Occupation: Lawyer, clergy, entrepreneur
Education: Bachelor of Arts, Howard University; law degree from Howard University School of Law
Political experience: State lawmaker, first elected in 2000
Issues: Unclear because he has no Web site and hasn't returned phone calls. Made news in early 2003 when he had outstanding tax bills dating back to the 1980s. He paid more than $66,000 in back income taxes and penalties after his tax problems were reported. Mangham has also been noted as a serial late filer of campaign disclosure reports. He is currently not listed as owing any late fees.
Web site: No campaign Web site. Legislative Web site: www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2009_10/house/bios/manghamRandal/manghamRandalBio.htm
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