What’s on the ballot?

Published 6:53 pm Monday, November 5, 2018

Voters in Troup County will head to the polls on Tuesday to choose the next governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state of Georgia. Here’s a look at everything that’ll be on the ballot.

GOVERNOR

Current Secretary of State Brian Kemp will square off with Stacey Abrams, who served as the minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017.

Polls list the two candidates in a virtual tie, and there’s a chance neither Abrams nor Kemp gets more than 50 percent of the vote today, meaning they’ll head to a Dec. 4 runoff.

A lot depends on third party, Libertarian candidate Ted Metz, who may get enough votes to prevent either Kemp, the Republican nominee, or Abrams, the Democratic nominee, from clinching victory Tuesday.

The winner will take over for current governor Nathan Deal, who is term-limited.

LT. GOVERNOR

Republican Geoff Duncan, a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, is squaring off against Democrat Sarah Riggs Amico, a trucking business owner.

The winner will take over for Casey Cagle, who ran for governor and lost in a run-off to Kemp.

SECRETARY OF STATE

Republican Brad Raffensperger and Democrat John Barrow are battling to take on the position Kemp is relinquishing in his pursuit for governor. Raffensperger is the CEO of a contracting and engineering firm, while Barrow previously served as the U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 12th district.

U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 3

Republican Drew Ferguson, the former mayor of West Point, will look to hold on to his position as U.S. Congressman for District 3, which includes Troup County. He’s being challenged by Democrat Chuck Enderlin, a military veteran.

GEORGIA SENATE DISTRICT 29

Republican Randy Robertson, a longtime law enforcement official for the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, will take on Democrat Valerie Haskins, a former educator.

GEORGIA HOUSE 132

Democratic candidate Bob Trammell, the incumbent, will face off with Republican Leonard Gomez in the race for Georgia House District 132. Trammell has served in the Georgia house since 2014 and currently serves as the minority leader. Gomez served on the Grantville City Council from 2013 to 2017.

OTHER RACES

Other races on the ballot include the following: Attorney General: Chris Carr (R), Charlie Bailey (D); Commissioner of Agriculture: Gary Black (R), Fred Swann (D); Commissioner of Insurance: Jim Beck (R), Janice Laws (D), Donnie Foster (L); State School Superintendent: Richard Woods (R), Otha Thornton (D); Commissioner of Labor: Mark Butler (R), Richard Keatley (D); Public Service Commissioner: Chuck Eaton (R), Lindy Miller (D), Ryan Graham (L); Public Service Commissioner: Tricia Pridemore (R), Dawn Randolph (D), John Turpish (L); Special Election for District Attorney of the Coweta Judicial Circuit: Herb Cranford (R); County Commission Chairperson: James Patrick Crews (R); Roosevelt Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor: Joel Keith

Amendments

There will also be five amendments on the ballot that voters will check “yes” or “no” for. The first would create a Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund and ensure sales taxes paid on outdoor goods would be set aside for purchasing additional public lands or maintaining state parks.

The second amendment would set up a special Georgia business court to hear business cases.

The third amendment will change how timberland is defined and taxed in Georgia.

The fourth amendment, or Marsy’s Law, will give crime victims constitutional rights.

The fifth amendment allows a school district with a majority of students within a county to call for a county sales tax referendum.

Referendums

Two referendums are also on the ballot. Referendum A provides a municipal property tax exemption for homes in jurisdictions that include more than one county, while Referendum B ensures homes for mentally disabled individuals quality for tax exemptions.