Gloria Gaines qualifies to challenge Harry James in District 5

ALBANY — A familiar face plans to make a run for her former seat on the Dougherty County Commission.

Late Wednesday afternoon, former District 5 County Commissioner Gloria Gaines qualified to challenge incumbent Harry James for the seat she once held. Gaines gave up the seat for an unsuccessful run against Chris Cohilas for the commission chairmanship in 2014.

“I feel that I’ve served the people of District 5 well, and the people of the district know that,” James, who qualified for re-election on Monday, said Thursday afternoon. “I have no real reaction to Ms. Gaines’ decision to seek this seat again, but I will say that she has already displayed that she gave up her interest in District 5 when she left to run for the chair. I’m a little surprised that, now that she didn’t get that seat, she wants to come back.

“I’ve made a difference in this district, a difference that she didn’t make. If her true interest was in this district, she never would have left to run for chairman. It was about prestige and power, not the people of the district.”

Gaines was not immediately available for commenct when contacted by The Albany Herald.

Qualifying for a number of local and statewide offices is set to end Friday at noon.