Candidates outline platforms at Lee GOP forum

LEESBURG — A large gathering of early risers got the opportunity Saturday morning for an up-close-and-personal glance at local politics, Lee County style, as the county’s Republican Party hosted a meet-and-greet with candidates at Grand Island Golf Club.

There were a few surprises, occasional moments of confusion and one awkward confrontation during the forum, as candidates for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Southwestern Judicial Circuit Superior Court judgeship, state Senate, state House, Lee tax commissioner’s office, Lee Probate Court judgeship and Lee County Commission talked about their political plans.

One of the forum’s more telling moments came when veteran state House District 152 incumbent Ed Rynders mentioned to the overwhelmingly Republican audience that he had gotten an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. His opponent, Mary Egler, remarked, “I love rifles and handguns, too.”

Rynders hesitated little more than a nanosecond before responding, “Yes, and you’re the only Republican in the state with an ‘F’ rating from the NRA.”

The gathering reached an awkward impasse when Colleen Harden, the widow of firefighter Dan Harden, confronted Superior Court judge candidate Lewis Lamb after Lamb’s remarks. Harden condemned the circuit’s chief assistant district attorney for remarks she said Lamb made to her then-15-year-old son after her husband’s accidental death in 2013.

“When my 15-year-old son asked about this case involving his father, you told him you had ‘more important cases,’” Harden, who grew emotional during her remarks, said. “You had no right to say that to my child, who was an innocent victim. I don’t see how you can sit on a judge’s stand. I do not believe you are an upstanding man.”

Harden’s comments came during a question-answer session, and Lamb said, simply, “I don’t hear a question.”

One of the forum’s bolder moments came when three of the four candidates for the Probate Court judgeship responded to a question about performing same-sex marriages.

Both District Attorney Investigator Miles O’Quinn and attorney Gail Drake said they would not perform any marriages if elected to office, O’Quinn pointing out that judges who did not perform traditional wedding ceremonies did not have to perform same-sex ceremonies. The third candidate of the four present, Probate Court Deputy Clerk Melanie Gahring, said she would perform any type of ceremony if asked.

“When you are elected to serve a community, you are elected to serve the entire community,” Gahring said. “If I am elected to this office, I will uphold the law, which is what a judge is required to do. I would perform marriages if I am asked to do so.”

Asked by moderator Mike Sabot if that included same-sex marriages, Gahring replied, “You have no choice. You either do all marriages or no marriages.”

Long-shot U.S. Senate candidate Mary Kay Bacallao, who is challenging senior Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson, made a case for her candidacy, pointing out national and state laws that have negatively impacted the country, particularly in regard to education.

“I wrote Sen. Isakson a note back in 2012 and told him if he voted to pass the education bill (HB244) linked to common core tests I would run against him,” Bacallao said. “He did, and here I am. The only thing is I don’t have an $8.5 million war chest (like Isakson). But if everyone will vote for me and help send me to Washington, I will help repeal the bad laws that are undermining the authority in our schools and in our nation.”

Greg Duke and Diane Vann, who are squaring off in the May 24 Republican primary for a shot at Albany Democrat Sanford Bishop in the Second Congressional District general election Nov. 8, both took shots at the Democratic incumbent.

“Everyone — even the people I’ve talked with in Washington — wants to get rid of Bishop, and I’m the man who can beat him,” Duke said. “I remember his radio ad from two years ago where he said, ‘I am the quiet Congressman.’ Well, being quiet is not working. We need someone in Washington who will speak out for the people of our district.”

Vann said Bishop has supported programs that hurt the country.

“These are programs that are not making America great,” she said. “They’re programs that have opened the door for the Chinese to come in and try to disarm us while they’re looking at the price of our land.”

Attorneys Jimmie Brown and Kevin Kwashnak are vying, along with Lamb, for the Superior Court judge’s seat that serves a six-county district including Lee, Macon, Schley, Stewart, Sumter and Webster counties.

“What distinguishes us in a nonpartisan race is our life experiences and our legal experiences,” Brown said. “A judge should be experienced, professional and fair to everyone.”

Kwashnak said he’d worked in all six counties in the circuit and has seen how the system works “from the inside.”

“We need a judge to move these cases along, who will hold attorneys’ feet to the fire and require them to do their job,” he said.

Lamb said he offers a “unique perspective” on the court system.

“I’ve seen how the system works from the defense and prosecutorial sides,” he said. “I have the level of experience needed to keep the judicial process moving. And I’ve gotten guilty verdicts in every murder trial I’ve tried.”

State Sen. Greg Kirk, who has no primary opposition, said he has sponsored or co-sponsored 147 pieces of legislation during his two years in office.

Rynders touted the importance of his seniority in the House.

“At the end of the day, it’s important to have someone with seniority who can walk in and talk to the leadership,” he said. “That’s a value we can’t afford to lose.”

Incumbent Tax Commissioner Susan Smith, whose opponent, Tommy Goodwin, was not able to attend the forum, touted the improvements she’s made in office, while the three Probate Court candidates (the fourth is Jeffery Kirt) outlined their plans to take on the duties of the office.

“This will be my full-time job; call me, and I’ll be there,” O’Quinn said.

Drake said her 15 years practicing Probate law have prepared her for a seat on the bench. Gahring said her four years in the Probate office qualified her to understand and handle all duties of the court.

County Commission District 5 candidates Bill Williams and Lee Johnston reiterated their major concerns with the county’s government.

“Our public safety employees need the tools to do their job,” Johnston said.

Williams, a CPA who previously served on the commission, said, “We don’t have a revenue problem in Lee County, we have a spending problem.”