A deeper look into the most recent campaign finance disclosures reveals some surprising twists in the one real statewide contest to emerge thus far for the judicial election season—the battle between two lawyers named Ken for an open seat on the Georgia Court of Appeals.

On first blush, the reports filed last week showed personal injury and past State Bar of Georgia president Kenneth Shigley leading on the money, with $519,000 raised and $441,000 in cash on hand.

But Shigley's total included a $250,000 loan he made to his own campaign on Jan. 31, just before the end of the grace period for filing 2017 reports. After accounting for the loan, Shigley had $269,000 in donations.

Meanwhile, trial lawyer, former Dougherty County district attorney and state bar president-elect Kenneth Hodges III reported $330,500 raised, with no loans.

Both candidates discussed the reports and the campaign in conversations with the Daily Report this week.

“I enjoy everything except fundraising,” Shigley said. “I would rather take a whipping with my daddy's belt—and the lecture to go with it—than call my friends and ask for money. That's one of the reasons I sat down and wrote a check to the campaign.”

Shigley said if he wins and has the chance to hold a debt repayment fundraiser, he'll pay himself back. If he loses, he figured he won't be able to repay the loan. “I'll cross that bridge when I come to it,” he said.

For his part, Hodges said he doesn't particularly love fundraising. But he has enjoyed the chance to reconnect with old friends and catch up on visiting. He spoke as he walked in to a campaign event in Thomasville Tuesday evening, after other events in Moultrie during the day. Later he planned to return home to Albany, then fly back to Atlanta for work Wednesday. He has law offices in Atlanta and Albany. Next week, he has dates booked in North Georgia.
Hodges said he finds that, once friends make a donation, they pledge to share his information with their own contacts.

Shigley said one of the challenges is reminding people that nonpartisan judicial elections are early—the same day as the primary—and not later in the year with the general election. The state changed the schedule a few years ago to allow newly elected judges more time to wrap up their law practices and prepare to take the bench.

“I've had people say they'll vote for me in November,” Shigley said. He has to point out that the election is May 22.

They are running for the job left open by Court of Appeals Judge John Ellington, who is running instead for the vacancy on the Georgia Supreme Court created by Justice Carol Hunstein's planned retirement at the end of the year. Ellington has no announced competition for the high court.

Also filing campaign finance reports without competition are the other judges and justices up for election on the two appeals courts. But qualifying doesn't officially begin until March, so there could still be a surprise before the judicial election season is over.