Cover Story: Metro races feature nuts and a few gems
A north metro congressional seat up for grabs is the 6th District post vacated by Johnny Isakson. Easily the most Republican district in the state (it's Newt's old seat, after all), the 6th traditionally has been represented by an east Cobb politico. We're hoping tradition holds and the post goes to Chuck Clay, a sensible moderate who's paid his dues in both the state House and Senate. His leading opponents are the unremarkable east Cobb state Sen. Robert Lamutt and state Sen. Tom Price of north Fulton, whose tinges of extremism have made him popular among party hardliners. This time, the Price isn't right.
Democratic voters in the Athens area will nominate a candidate who could capture a Democratic seat in Congress that, by a fluke, went to the GOP's Max Burns. Two years ago, the Democratic candidates for the District 12 seat — including the son of ethically challenged state Sen. Charles Walker — were substantially less inspiring than this year's crop. Perhaps the most impressive is attorney Doug Haynes, a former state senator from Athens who has distinguished himself as one of Georgia's top environmental watchdogs. Frankly, we could use a few more tree-huggers in Washington right now.
The recent re-redistricting has thrown several former legislative colleagues into pitched battle against each other and forced many incumbents to sell themselves to unfamiliar constituencies.
In the race for state Senate District 35, incumbent Kasim Reed, a bright, 34-year-old Atlanta attorney, is the head-and-shoulders choice over his Democratic challenger, former Sen. Donzella James.
In DeKalb's Senate District 42, we're big fans of the smart, able incumbent, David Adelman, a Decatur attorney who's facing a primary challenge from nurse Olivia Jones.
Then, there are the Senate races where we don't have a favorite, but we definitely know who we don't like. That's the case in far northeast Georgia's Senate District 50, where the repugnant Nancy Schaefer — a right-to-life maniac and former gubernatorial candidate — is battling two other Republicans. Her campaign should be aborted.
Speaking of nutcases, east Cobb's Mitchell Kaye — who once floated a bill to arm teachers so they could return students' fire — has resurfaced in that county's Senate District 32. Please ensure his continued residence in the dustbin of history.
Finally, we don't envy the "Sophie's choice" facing GOP voters in Senate District 27 between Georgia Power's favorite bitch, Lauren "Bubba" McDonald of Suwanee, and incumbent Bill "tort reform" Stephens of Canton. If you live there, we suggest you relocate.
On the House side,
we can't think of a compelling reason for the effective Pat Gardner of Atlanta's House District 57 to be replaced by the untested Alex Wan. Neither, it seems, can he.
Similarly, Georgiana Sinkfield has represented House District 60 well and deserves to be returned to office. The same goes for Decatur's Stephanie Stuckey Benfield, who's facing three primary challengers in the redrawn House District 85.
Over in Carrollton's House District 68, Georgia Sierra Club Director Bryan Hager is running, astonishingly enough, in the Republican primary. We wish him well.
We're none too fond of the ultra-conservative Earl Ehrhart, the incumbent in Cobb's House District 36. But his two GOP challengers are a couple of rabid Christian fundamentalist types, so voting there is a lose-lose proposition.
Another tough call
is the Democratic primary for DeKalb district attorney between County Solicitor Gwendolyn Keyes and prominent defense attorney Keith Adams. The benefit of electing Adams would be in retaining Keyes as a capable prosecutor.
And in the open race for DeKalb's 6th District commission seat vacated by Judy Yates, we give the edge to community activist Kathie Gannon, who has long toiled in the nonprofit trenches.
Finally, in the GOP race to replace the late Bob Fulton in Fulton County's 3rd District commission seat, the face-off between Alpharettans Dean Alverson, Lynne Riley and Clifford Martin sounds like the ultimate coin-tosser. Ain't democracy great?