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With the shortened timeframe for the upcoming run-off election and the Thanksgiving holiday on everyone’s minds, that leaves precious little time left for candidates to get their message out before voters head back to the polls.

For senate candidates Raphael Warnock (D) and challenger Hershel Walker (R), million-dollar ad campaigns will continue to reinforce their messages, but here in LaGrange, the run-off candidates for City Council District 2 will have to go another route.

Leon Childs and Quay Boddie will compete in a run-off for the special election for the city council seat vacated by the late Councilman LeGree McCamey.

Childs led voting during the general election, winning 897 votes (34%). Boddie finished second with 538 votes (21%). Neither candidate received a majority of the votes among the candidates, so the two will face off on Dec 6. 

Both candidates acknowledged that it’s going to be difficult to campaign over the holiday week with people either being out of town or having other thoughts on their minds.

“I don’t want to be the kind of person trying to campaign and just keep everything on politics,” Childs said.

Childs said he would love to keep reminding people to get out and vote for him but he knows there are other things on everyone’s minds.

“I just want to be courteous of other people’s time that the things that they’ve got going on during the holiday time,” he said.

Boddie said he plans to continue campaigning simply by being present.

“I have continued to be myself,” Boddie said. “I’ve been even more present in the things that I’m already doing within the community. I’m involved with a lot of different things, everything from sports, to nonprofit work, to community involvement.”

Boddie said he plans to be even more involved to ensure that he and his campaign team are as visible and available to talk to voters.  Boddie also said he planned to give back his time to support the community by helping give out Thanksgiving food at the Pay It Forward 2k15 Turkey Day Foodbox giveaway that was held at Lafayette Christian School on Saturday.

Neither candidate thought the shortened campaign period or minimal early voting will affect their race.

“This race is just totally going to be about the person that can get their supporters back out and whoever wants their candidate in office bad enough,” Childs said. “I think that everybody has got a lot of faith and trust in their candidate, so they’re going to be trying to get that person in there.”

“We have got to maximize all of the time that we have because we know there’s not a lot of time until early voting, and also the election starts,” Boddie said.

Boddie also said that he believes the Senate runoff will help with the overall turnout.

“The Senate race is going to help myself and Mr. Childs out when it comes to voter turnout because I feel our residents are highly excited about their race well,” Boddie said.

Childs said he is planning a campaign event after the holidays and closer to the election.

“I am doing a huge ‘Stand with Me’ meet-and-greet at the Moss & Wood Park on Hamilton Road,” Childs said.

The campaign event will be held on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.