Credit: BillionPhotos.com / AdobeStock Dozens of Judges up for Reelection: These Jurists Face Opposition in May
At least 40 Georgia judges will face opposition in the May 21 general nonpartisan primary election.
March 13, 2024 at 01:17 PM
4 minute read
What You Need to Know
- At least 40 Georgia judges will face opposition in the May 21 general nonpartisan primary election.
- Challenged judges sit on appellate, superior, state, probate and magistrate court benches.
- Challengers range from judges to lawyers and civilians.
From appellate to magistrate courts, hundreds of judicial candidates qualified to run in the May 21 general nonpartisan primary election. As many judges' campaigns went unopposed, at least 40 drew challengers.
The Daily Report has compiled a list of the contested judicial races. While the bulk consist of probate and magistrate jurists facing off against other judges, lawyers and civilians, at least 11 of the contests pit incumbent appellate, superior and state court judges against other judges and lawyers.
Appellate
- Supreme Court of Georgia
- Incumbent: Justice Andrew Pinson
- Challenger: Athens attorney John Barrow
Superior Court
- Atlanta Judicial Circuit
- Incumbent: Judge Rachel Krause Challenger: Attorney Brandi Reeves
- Incumbent: Judge Scott F. McAfee Challenger: Robert Hilliard Patillo Challenger: Attorney Tiffani Johnson
- Clayton Judicial Circuit
- Incumbent: Chief Judge Robert L. Mack
- Challenger: Former Juvenile Court Chief Judge Deitra Burney-Butler
- Cobb Judicial Circuit
- Incumbent: Judge Julie Adams Jacobs
- Challenger: Marietta attorney Sylvia Goldman
- Dublin Judicial Circuit
- Incumbent: Judge William D. Trey Taylor
- Challenger: Oconee County ADA Brad Childers
- Challenger: Dublin Judicial Circuit Chief ADA Brandon Faircloth
- Rockdale Judicial Circuit
- Candidate: Former Rockdale County State Court Chief Judge Clarence Cuthpert Jr.
- Candidate: Rockdale County Juvenile Court Judge Maureen Wood
State Court
- DeKalb County State Court
- Incumbent: Judge Ana Maria Martinez
- Challenger: DeKalb County Senior ADA Tyshawn Yvonne Jackson
- Douglas County State Court
- Incumbent: Judge James Edward 'Eddie' Barker
- Challenger: Douglasville attorney Corey Bernard Martin
- Effingham County State Court
- Incumbent: Judge Stephen 'Steve' R. Yekel
- Challenger: Ogechee Judicial Circuit Juvenile Judge Melissa M. Calhoun
- Challenger: Rincon attorney Raymond Dickey
- Gwinnett County State Court
- Incumbent: Judge Shawn F. Bratton
- Challenger: Lilburn attorney Ramona Toole Sakhanokho
- Henry County State Court
- Incumbent: Judge Stephen N. Knights Jr.
- Jonesboro attorney Loletha Hale
Probate Court
- Appling County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Judge Gretchen Bailey
- Challenger Educator Ryan Taylor
- Brantley County Probate Court:
- Incumbent: Probate Judge Cassie Lee
- Challenger: Hoboken Police Chief Jonathan McMillan
- Challenger: Manager Justin Smith
- Chatham County Probate Court:
- Incumbent: Judge Thomas Curry Bordeaux:
- Challenger: Savannah attorney Burt Anthony Burton
- Clay County Probate/Magistrate
- Incumbent: Probate/Magistrate Judge Staci W. Giles
- Challenger: Probation Director Mia Lee Wallace
- Clinch County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Judge Kimberly N. Smith
- Challenger: Paralegal Marian C. Davis
- Challenger: Probation Officer Elexis Williams
- Douglas County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Judge Christina Janae Peterson
- Challenger: Valerie Vanessa Vie
- Fanin County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Judge Robbman Scott Kiker
- Challenger: Blue Ridge attorney Manda Carol Gwatney
- Irwin County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Judge Ronnie McCurdy
- Challenger: LaRounda Thomas
- Lincoln County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Judge Leighton Edwin Taylor
- Challenger: Lincolnton attorney Cortney R Elam
- Long County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Judge Teresa Lynn Odum
- Challenger: Robert Harrison Smith III
- Meriwhether County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Judge John D. Rasnick
- Challenger: Kenyatta Nichelle Bell
- McIntosh County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Probate/Magistrate Judge Harold A Webster III
- Challenger: Pastor Nathaniel Hicks Jr.
- Screven County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Judge Debbie Colleen Brown
- Challenger: Heather Smith
- Turner County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Judge Penny E. Thomas
- Challenger: Dawn Myers Elliott
- Worth County Probate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Casey Rouse
- Challenger: David Black
Magistrate Court
- Carroll County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Nathaniel Smith
- Challenger: Carrollton attorney Kierston Marie Phillips
- Chatham County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Mary Kathryn Moss
- Challenger: Savannah attorney Van'nessa A'vion Bailey
- Franklin County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Judge Cody Wayne Grizzlie
- Challenger: Crystal Buffington Nelms
- Haralson County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Jason Blackmon
- Challenger: Retired Bremen Police Lt. Blane Cochran
- Hart County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Thomas J. Jordan
- Challenger: Hart County Sheriff Deputy Wayne 'Chilidawg' Hinson
- Heard County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Brenda Jennings
- Challenger: Heard County Prosecuting Attorney Leopold Frederick 'Fritz' Joh
- Jasper County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Tim Lam
- Challenger: Jasper County Superior Court Chief Deputy Clerk Chrissy Pitts Mason
- Challenger: John Henderson
- Liberty County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Michael J. McGirt
- Challenger: Malcolm X Williams
- Morgan County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Connie Jay Holt
- Challenger: Madison attorney Tiffany Jones Ellenberg
- Pickens County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Larry Alan Morris
- Challenger: Pickens County Court Administrative Manager Connie Lynn Hughes
- Stewart County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Magistrate Judge George Warne Ammons
- Challenger: Canady 'Tony' Matthew
- Challenger: Paul Stull
- Thomas County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Magistrate Judge S. Andrews 'Andy' Seery
- Challenger: Thomas County Sheriff Patrol Commander Charles 'Chuck' McDonald
- Challenger: Thomasville attorney Matthew T. Shiner
- Twiggs County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate David L. Brown
- Challenger: Twiggs County Deputy Sheriff Kevin Wrye
- Whitfield County Magistrate Court
- Incumbent: Chief Magistrate Chris Griffin
- Challenger: Julia Nguyen-Goulart
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