Candidates qualify for May 19 general primary election
Qualifying for local primary elections are registered with the candidate’s respective party.
ALBANY – After three days of the one-week qualifying period for the 2026 general primary election, all four Dougherty County Commission incumbents up for re-election had filled out paperwork and paid qualifying fees to seek re-election.
Democratic District 2 Commissioner Victor Edwards, District 6 Commissioner Anthony Jones and Commission Chairman Lorenzo Heard all had qualified with the Dougherty County Democratic Committee by Thursday.
District 4 Commissioner Russell Gray, a Republican, also had qualified with the Dougherty County Republican Party.
Qualifying for local primary elections are registered through candidates’ respective party.
Two Democrats had qualified in the District 4 commission race: Anthony Patterson and Al Winn. Willie Martin qualified in District 6.
As of Thursday morning, the only Dougherty School Board member to qualify was Democrat Dean Phinazee in District 6.
Four incumbent state representatives whose districts include a portion of Dougherty County also are seeking re-election in 2026, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. Those are Republicans Mike Cheokas in District 151, Bill Yearta in District 152 and Gerald Greene in District 154. District 153 incumbent David Sampson, a Democrat, also qualified to seek another two-year term.
Three Democrats also have qualified for the Democratic primary: James Wolfe in District 151, Mitchell Rosa in District 152 and Harry James in District 154.
In the District 12 state Senate race, incumbent Democrat Freddie Powell Sims was the only candidate who had qualified by Thursday.
The qualifying period ended at noon on Friday. The statewide primary and nonpartisan election will be held on May 19.
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