State House races set to kick off in earnest

Editor’s Note: Today’s story is the first in a series of previews concerning the May 24 primaries and nonpartisan elections in the Albany metro area.

ALBANY — With early primary voting beginning today, area voters will start making their selections in two of three contested state House races in the area.

Confirmed contested house seats are District 152, where incumbent Ed Rynders, R-Leesburg, is facing a challenge from fellow Republican Mary Egler, and in District 153, where incumbent Darrel Ealum, D-Albany, is pitted against challengers Muarlean Edwards and Antonio Screen in the Democratic primary.

The House race for District 151 is in limbo as Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, and Democratic challenger James Williams await a judge’s decision on Greene’s claim that Williams actually lives in District 154, which would make him ineligible to run in 151. The judge’s decision is expected sometime before May 13.

Rynders, who is seeking his eighth term in the House, currently serves as the chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee and as secretary of the Appropriations, Health & Human Services, and Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment committees. His committee involvement also includes membership on the Intragovernmental Coordination, Rules and Transportation committees.

“I have the experience and institutional knowledge that benefits south Georgia. The five house chairmen closest to Albany average 17 years of service,” Rynders said. “Freshmen legislators have very little input into the state budget. I’m proud to be part of the House leadership and an advocate for Southwest Georgia. I’ve been a conservative Republican my entire life. I still believe in traditional marriage, the right to bear arms, local control and that government should live within its means.”

Rynders outlined his priorities should he win re-election.

“We have to do everything we can to save the Marine base; work toward access to affordable health care as well as enhancing economic development. These are crucial issues to Southwest Georgia,” the veteran representative said. “I believe the people know I will stand strong against Atlanta and to keep these issues front and center.”

Egler countered.

“I don’t know what I can say when people in Atlanta say they can’t operate without Ed Rynders,” said Egler, referring to House Speaker David Ralston’s calling Rynders “the champion of Rural Georgia.” “I feel like I can do the job, and I know I lost in 2014, but I think you need to keep going until you succeed.”

She said her platform is simple.

“I’d like to concentrate on statewide health care for our veterans, lower taxes and improved education in the district,” Egler said. “I know I would be new to the scene, and I will make some mistakes, but I will listen to people and am willing to learn. When there seems to be no solution to a problem, we’ll find one.”

A former Dougherty County School Board member, Ealum said when he was elected to the House he promised he would deliver to Dougherty County.

Ealum said he and Dougherty County’s local delegation helped bring $30 million back home to Albany during the previous two legislative sessions, including funding allocated for construction of a Fine Arts building at Albany State University, for moving the Albany National Guard armory onboard Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany, for funding of the Commodore Conyers Career Academy, for teacher pay raises and for improvements on the county’s Northwest Library branch.

“As I have said previously, serving the people of Dougherty County in Atlanta has been the greatest honor of my life,” the retired Marine, who recently completed his first two-year term in office, said. “Being a state representative is about delivery, and I’ve delivered.”

Edwards, a former educator, county commissioner and community activist, said her connections are to the district’s grassroots constituency.

“District 153 is composed solely of voting precincts in Dougherty County. I clearly know what goes on in your house because the same things go on in my house,” Edwards said. “I know what things keep you awake at night because the same things keep me up.”

The House 153 challenger said she wants to expand health care options, broaden educational opportunities, expand family programs, veteran services, employment empowerment, decrease incarceration and reduce repeat offender rates.

“You can expect the same from me as you always have received from me while serving as your neighbor, your county commissioner, your social worker, your teacher or whatever services at the particular time,” Edwards said.

Screen, making his first run at public office, said he’s running because a person can either be part of the problem or be part of the solution.

“I developed my work ethic as a teen,” Screen said. “I discovered that if you want to do something, it’s up to you to do it. When I came to Albany three years ago and saw the poverty here, I wanted to do something. I started an organization called The Alive Center, and we’ve helped more than 8,000 families through our various outreach programs.

“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.”

Early voting for the May 24 Democratic and Republican primaries, as well as nonpartisan races, starts today in Dougherty and Lee county Elections offices 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.