Dougherty County Democratic Committee hosts public candidate forum

ALBANY – Dougherty County Democratic candidates for the May 2024 primary faced off for the first time at a public forum Saturday evening.

The Dougherty County Democratic Committee hosted the panel that featured incumbent candidate for Georgia House of Representatives District 153 David Sampson, D-Albany, and his opponent Joshua Anthony; Sheriff candidates Keithen Hall and Terron Hayes and District Attorney candidates Elizabeth Gibson and incumbent Greg Edwards.

The third candidate for District 153, Tracy Taylor, was absent. Members of the Democratic Committee said Taylor had been invited.

The six candidates answered questions from a moderator and audience members who filled out a question form. The public filled up tables in the cafeteria of the old Albany High School to hear the candidates address important issues in Dougherty County like poverty, crime, economic and industrial growth, as well as managing funds at the county level.

A look at Georgia House of Representatives District 153

Sampson kicked off the forum. He currently serves District 153, which is the only district wholly in Dougherty County. He assumed office in January 2023. District 153 encompasses parts of Albany, including the Audubon, Lakeside and Oakdale areas.

Sampson said his approach to service in the State House is to foster ongoing relationships with members of local and state governments.

“That’s how we look to build community involvement as we grow the community,” he said.

Sampson addressed community concerns on crime, poverty, housing, industry, education and health care. He said he plans to carry these concerns back to Atlanta.

The incumbent also addressed his indecisiveness on running for re-election. Sampson told The Albany Herald he did not plan to run for re-election and then later clarified saying he would be running.

Sampson said he was fully committed to the position.

“At the end of the day, I know this community can be better,” he said. “I know I’m the person to help focus on all of us working together.”

He called Albany a “fragmented community.” He said he wants to bring more industry to Dougherty County to combat the “astronomical” poverty and unemployment rates. He called for expanded health care, more jobs and a better school system.

Anthony is the youngest candidate for Georgia’s House, at 21 years old. He combatted doubt about his age by noting political experience stretching to the state and federal levels.

Anthony said these experiences taught him how to work across the aisle and what is necessary to disburse federal resources to the local level in a “healthy and conducive” way.

He said he wrote his first 80-page bill, focused on gun safety and rights, at 19.

Anthony enters the race with a five-year plan to address economic development, stronger education with higher teacher pay, fostering a relationship between law enforcement and the community and investing in younger generations.

“I believe we have to change the way we’ve been operating,” he said. “This is not a battle of where we have been, but a battle of where we can be.”

To combat Albany’s surging crime, Sampson said he wanted to see a properly staffed police force and community-based policing.

Anthony said crime is traced back to Albany’s economic issues.

“A lot of times these parents can’t get home to their children … because they’re spending extra time on the job to make ends meet,” he said, adding that the streets are raising some of Albany’s youths. 

Anthony said Albany needs to use more of its resources to provide better, higher-paying jobs but also more opportunities for leisure and activity for families. He said once these things happen, crime rates will drop.

As far as bringing industry, Sampson said it’s all about fostering relationships with legislators across the aisle to bring support, about public and private partnerships and investing in the private sector.

A look at the Dougherty County Sheriff race

Chief Deputy Hayes is running for County Sheriff with the support of current Sheriff Kevin Sproul.

His platform is built around the “four R’s”: relationships, recidivism, recruitment and retention.

Hayes said his first order of business as sheriff would be implementing a “jail-to-jobs” program, which addresses the Sheriff’s Department’s recidivism rate.

He said this requires relationship-building with technical schools throughout southwest Georgia to bring in more GED, certificate and trade programs. The goal is to give misdemeanor offenders the opportunity for employment and business ownership.

“They won’t have to break into your house … because they can go out and feel proud to be able to dig into their own pockets and make their own purchases,” Hayes said.

The next focus, he said, is starting and expanding youth programs.

“Not just in sports, but we’re looking at the arts … education – everything that could cause our youth to be bigger and greater and want to strive to be the best they can be,” Hayes said.

Hall said he has 32 years in law enforcement, beginning with the Albany Police Department in 1989.

He said he’s watched Albany’s crime rate surge over the years and did the heavy lifting during his time with APD. He said he wants to make sure there is enough staffing and money to allow the Sheriff’s Department to effectively combat crime.

Hall said his first order of business is to address issues like warrants that haven’t been served.

A look at the District Attorney race

Edwards has been Dougherty County’s District Attorney since 2008, and he said he wants to continue to serve the county because he believes he’s done an effective job.

He said the criminal justice system has three aspects he’ll focus on: preventing crime, intervening in crime, and restoration. Preventing young people from getting involved in crime, he said, is the most important of the three.

Through his leadership, he said the DA’s office has engaged in programs like the “Stop the Violence” movement as well as faith-based organizations to help toward prevention. He said he wants to continue doing these things as well as address issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Edwards said his biggest accomplishment in office is decreasing the Dougherty County Jail’s population by developing processes to streamline case resolution. He said he worked with others, like the Sheriff’s Department, to decrease the jail’s population from 2% of the county’s population to a level that was more appropriate.

Gibson, who used to work for the District Attorney’s office, said she is also focused on prevention, intervention, and restoration.

Gibson’s plans for the future of the DA’s office focus on issues like staffing and recruiting, and retaining employees through increased pay and more community involvement.

She said she left the DA’s office because of low pay.

“We have to increase pay because some people can’t survive in their positions,” Gibson said.

Gibson said she started the mock trial teams in the Dougherty County School System in 2016 as a way to connect with youths. She said she’s also done extensive work in record restrictions, assisting in efforts to remove penalties facing people who have dismissed charges on their record.

Dougherty County voters will vote on these candidates in May. The Democratic Committee plans to host two more candidate forums leading up to the election.

Staff Photo: Lucille LanniganStaff Photo: Lucille Lannigan

Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan

Staff Photo: LUcille Lannigan