Four more candidates have signed up to run for two state House seats after the Georgia Republican Party reopened qualifying because the party's incumbents withdrew their candidacies after signing up last month for re-election.
In House District 3, the withdrawal of Republican incumbent Tom Weldon, R-Ringgold, initially left DeWayne Hill as the only candidate in the contest. There is no Democrat in the race. Hill remains in the race and will face new challengers Zachary Hobbs, Jeffery Holcomb and Jeremy Jones, all of Ringgold.
In House District 52, 16-year Republican incumbent Joe Wilkinson, R-Sandy Springs, withdrew after facing unexpected opposition from former Sandy Springs City Councilman Graham McDonald. With no Democrats in the race, McDonald will face new candidate Karen F. Beavor and original challenger Deborah Silcox, a local attorney and community activist who has already been endorsed by Wilkinson.
The additional qualifying period ended at 5 p.m. Thursday.
The state’s initial qualifying period for candidates was in March. Party officials, however, said they reopened the two seats because other potential candidates said they would have signed up for the state’s May 24 primary if they had known there would be no incumbent in the race.
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