Are all incumbents created equal?
State Rep. Betty Price isn't so sure.
The Roswell Republican on Monday introduced House Bill 164, which says only those who have previously been elected to a position can be listed as an incumbent on the next ballot.
“Some people have been gaming the system,” Price said.
Under the bill, anyone appointed to fill a vacancy, serves the remainder of the term and then runs for re-election would not be identified as the incumbent on the ballot.
Incumbency is a huge advantage in elections and Price said the little “i” next to an incumbent’s name on the ballot should be earned, not granted.
Someone shouldn’t be called an incumbent if they haven’t faced voters before, she said.
The issue came up in 2016 when DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson won a lawsuit after he was not listed as the incumbent in a special election for the job. Johnson was appointed commissioner after the previous incumbent resigned.
It would also affect Attorney General Chris Carr, whom Gov. Nathan Deal appointed to fill the unexpired term of Sam Olens, who resigned to become president of Kennesaw State University in October. Carr has said he plans to run for a full term in 2018. Under Price's bill, he would not be listed as an incumbent.
The scenario Price’s bill envisions also often involves judges. Few of the state’s jurists are elected the first time they take the bench. Most are appointed to fill a vacancy after the incumbent retires or moves on.
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