Local candidates face off in East Albany political forum

ALBANY — The elbows in the Georgia House District 153 race grew a little sharper Saturday during a town hall political forum for local candidates at the East Albany Community Center.

Challenger Muarlean Edwards threw two jabs in the direction of incumbent Rep. Darrel Ealum, who later responded with one of his own.

Edwards, a former Dougherty County Commissioner, took exception to Ealum talking about her father buying her a new car when she was 16. She responded by displaying one of Ealum’s campaign flyers that featured a picture of a Dougherty County Georgia Civics Awareness Program for Students (GCAPS) delegation on a recent visit to the state capitol.

The picture of the 23-member delegation also included Dougherty Assistant County Manager Mike McCoy and County Commissioners John Hayes and Harry James. The mailer was titled: “Representative Darrel Ealum Delivers.”

Edwards stood behind the podium, held up the mailer, pointed to it and said, “’Darrel Ealum delivers.’ Well, I am pretty sure when this picture was taken most of these people didn’t know it was going to be used as a political advertisement.”

Ealum did not address the mailer but acknowledged he had talked to people about Edwards’ father buying her a new car at 16.

“I don’t have a problem with a parent buying their child a car,” Ealum said. “But when I was 16, I was picking cotton and chopping tobacco to make money to buy a car.”

Political newcomer Antonio Screen is also in the race, which will be decided in the May 24 Democratic primary.

“Serving you in Atlanta has been the greatest honor of my life,” Ealum, a former Dougherty County School Board member, said. “I learned to never give up from my mother, who took seven years to earn her teaching degree — and that was two years before I graduated from high school. Action has been my life. Velvet (Riggins, Edwards’ daughter) and I worked together to transform Dougherty High School. Go look at it now. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

Ealum pointed out that he and the local legislative delegation were instrumental in funding the new fine arts center at Albany State University, moving the National Guard armory from Monroe Street to the local Marine Corps Logistics Base, and allocating $2 million for the Northwest Library branch.

Edwards said her more than 50 years of experience as an educator, county commissioner and local activist qualified her for the seat.

“I don’t want to give a hand out, I want to give a hand up,” she said.

Screen remained above the fray.

“There are two kinds of people in this world — problems and solutions,” he said. “Children in this town don’t have the tools to succeed, and I could sit back and do nothing or do something about it. I want to be part of the solution. You may know my opponents’ names, but I have been working hard in the community. I think what we’ve done speaks volumes.”

Former Dougherty County educator Geraldine Hudley and Marine Capt. Susie Ealum (the daughter of Darrel Ealum) are political newcomers running for the at-large School Board seat being vacated by Lane Price.

“As an educator, I am informed and ready to serve,” Hudley said. “I think each child is born brilliant. We are on the threshold of the new college and career academy and going to a charter school system. It’s an exciting time in Dougherty County and I am ready to assist.”

Susie Ealum stressed that quality education is the key to the future.

“Education is the foundation of our community,” she said. “Businesses will not come to Dougherty County unless we have strong schools. We need a strong K-4 program because some of our children are unprepared for school. It’s a huge gap we must close. I love Dougherty County and I want to make a difference.”

Michael Fowler, who is the incumbent Dougherty County Coroner, was blunt in his address.

“I would not ask the citizens of Dougherty County to vote for me if I didn’t think I can continue to bring something to the table,” he said. “I’ve been deployed to 17 disasters around the world, and I was here during the Flood of 1994. This office is now operating at a level like never before. Now, you have heard my vision before, but you have never heard a vision from my opponent (Donchester Johnson).”

For his part, Johnson stressed he is qualified for the job and wanted to “bridge the gap” between the coroner’s office, law enforcement agencies and the community.

“I have always reached out to young people in the community, and I will continue to do so in the coroner’s office,” he said. “But I want to remind everyone that the coroner’s job is to determine the cause of death and get an answer to the family of the deceased in a timely manner. No matter what profession you’re in, you’re sent to school to learn the latest technology. I will attend classes and learn to do things the right way.”

Early voting for the May 24 Democratic and Republican primaries starts Monday in the county Elections office and will run weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through May 20. Also during that period, a state-mandated Saturday voting day (May 14) will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the “Candy Room” at the 125 Pine Ave. Riverfront Resource Center.

For one week during the early voting period (May 16-20), the Elections office will conduct voting at both locations.