A new local election season is already brewing, so if you’ve thought about running for office but don’t know jack about forming a PAC, Fayette County can help you.
The Fayette Chamber of Commerce hosts an annual Candidate Academy that explains what it takes to qualify for an election and run a campaign. The group held its 2018 seminar on Feb. 2, and I sat in alongside about a dozen men and women representing a variety of ages and backgrounds.
County races will be held for the District 3 and 4 seats on the Board of Commissioners and the District 2 and 4 seats on the Board of Education. Elections will also be held for State Court judge plus U.S. House of Representatives Districts 3 and 13. And if you’d like to take a more literal approach to draining the swamp, there is a district supervisor position open on the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission.
Candidates must qualify through their political party and file initial documents with the county March 5-9. Primaries will be held on May 22, and runoffs will occur on July 24 to determine who will be on the final general election ballot on Nov. 6.
The Candidate Academy came about after the Fayette Chamber’s community development director heard about a similar program elsewhere. Chamber President Carlotta Ungaro said about 100 people have attended the seminars so far.
Floyd Jones, Fayette’s director of elections and voter registration, laid out the election timeline and the paperwork that must be filed, including qualifying fees ranging from $306 for school board and $625 for commission to $3,409 for judge. The full packet listing qualifications, forms and deadlines is available at http://www.fayettecountyga.gov/elections/pdf/Floyd-2018-Candidate-Academy.pdf.
DeAngelo Hall — of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, not the former Falcon — walked us through the financial disclosure forms and campaign committee requirements that deal mostly with contributions and expenditures.
Campaign accounting is strict, he said; just passing the hat at a fundraiser “is a big no-no,” as are anonymous contributions. He noted that first-time candidates with no track record often can’t raise much money and should be prepared to finance most of their campaigns themselves.
Last on the agenda was a chat with Virgil Fludd and Matt Ramsey, who as former members of the Georgia House of Representatives spoke candidly about how to communicate with and motivate voters. Ramsey jokingly warned that candidates should “assume your opponent is going to find that Facebook photo from college.”
Realtor Kathleen Molnar signed up for the seminar because she’s motivated by issues personal to her. But she realizes that if elected, “You have to take on everybody’s issue.”
Rich Hoffman attended the 2017 Academy and was elected to the Fayetteville City Council last November. As the owner of Hoffman Tire Pros, he already had name recognition and solid finances but said the program was very helpful. “I felt comfortable about what I needed to do.”
As Fayette continues to evolve and diversify, taking the mystery out of candidacy might work wonders for democracy.
Jill Howard Church has lived in Fayette since 1994. Reach her at jillptcblog@aol.com.
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