Two Join State Races in Final Day of Qualifying

The field vying for one State House seat got wider, while the race for a U.S. House seat became competitive on the final day of qualifying Friday.

Barring any candidacy challenges, the list of candidates vying for state offices that impact Paulding is set. One addition to that list on Friday will see Melissa Morrison of Dallas challenging State Rep. Paulette Rakestraw Braddock in the July 31 Republican primary; Michael Ray James of Acworth qualified for the Republican race on Thursday. The winner is set to take the State House seat as no Democrats qualified.

The other newcomer to the list of candidates was Daniel “Danny” Grant of Fort Oglethorpe, who qualified as a Democrat in the District 14 race for the U.S. House of Representatives. Grant, who is unopposed, will move onto the Nov. 6 election to face the current holder of that office, U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger.

Candidates who qualified and the cities they hail from are (Friday’s additions in bold):

State Senate, District 30

Republicans: Bill Hamrick of Carrollton (Incumbent)

Democrats: None

State Senate, District 31

Republicans: Bill Carruth of Dallas, Bill Heath of Bremen (I), J.K. Rogers of Dallas

Democrats: None

State Representative, District 17

Republicans: Howard Maxwell of Dallas (I)

Democrats: None

State Representative, District 19

Republicans: Paulette Rakestraw Braddock of Powder Springs (I), Michael Ray James of Acworth, Melissa Morrison of Dallas

Democrats: None

State Representative, District 66

Republicans: Michael “Mike” Miller of Douglasville, Bob Snelling of Douglasville, Mickey Thompson of Douglasville

Democrats: Kimberly Alexander of Dallas

State Representative, District 67

Republicans: Bill Hembree of Winston (I)

Democrats: Leigh Mcmutry of Winston

U.S. Representative, District 14

Republicans: Tom Graves of Ranger (I)

Democrats: Daniel “Danny” Grant of Fort Oglethorpe

Public Service Commission, District 5

Republicans: Pam Davidson of Douglasville, Stan Wise of Marietta (I)

Democrats: None

Superior Court Judge, Paulding Circuit (Beavers)

Tonny S. Beavers of Dallas (I)

Superior Court Judge, Paulding Circuit (Vinson)

Kenneth G. Vinson of Dallas (I)