There will be a special election on August 26 and, if needed, a runoff on September 23. On August 4, early voting will start.
The Republican-leaning district extends into Cherokee County from northern Fulton County. Last year, Beach handily won 70% of the vote over a Democratic opponent.
With seven contenders, a runoff between the top two vote-getters is all but guaranteed. According to Georgia law, a candidate cannot win a race outright unless they earn more than 50% of the vote.
Reducing taxes is the primary priority for each of the six Republican contenders if elected.
Maya Prabhu is credited.
Maya Prabhu is credited.
In his ten years in government, Steve West, who left the Cherokee County Commission in May to run for the Senate, claimed to have established many connections at the state level. The 64-year-old West stated that he will collaborate with state representatives to reduce the state income tax rate in order to eventually eradicate it.
According to West, he also wants to build on the state’s recently launched school voucher scholarship program, which provides funding to students who are assigned to attend public schools with poor performance ratings.
West, who operates a steel and metal fabrication business, stated, “I’d like to start getting to the point of universal school choice, but I’m not sure how long it would take.”
Republican candidate Jason Dickerson has accused West of being the creator of an attack website that accuses Dickerson of a number of offenses, such as threatening to shoot his neighbor’s dog and embezzling taxpayer funds from a government loan during the COVID-19 pandemic. West refuted the accusation. The American Made Independent Committee Inc. is said to be the website’s sponsor.
The 49-year-old Dickerson chose not to respond to the website’s accusations.
Dickerson, a Canton resident and first-time candidate, claimed that his campaigning experience has made him more conscious of the problems that the district’s older citizens face. In particular, he stated that elders want property tax relief and affordable housing.
Dickerson, an investment management professional, stated, “Everyone is telling me the same thing: we need to get property tax assessments under control, protect our senior property tax exemptions, and eliminate the state income tax.”
Photographer Abbie Franklin is credited.
Photographer Abbie Franklin is credited.
Another first-time Republican candidate, Lance Calvert, is likewise focused on tax reduction, particularly for the district’s elderly population. Ball Ground resident Calvert claimed that voters have informed him that they might have to relocate because they are unable to keep up with the escalating cost of real estate.
Calvert, 49, stated, “I don’t think anybody should lose their home because of a property-tax increase.” It is imperative that we take action about property taxes immediately.
Republican Brian Will, who recently left the Alpharetta City Council to run for the Senate, stated that he wants to address tax cuts but plans to do so by imitating federal laws that target waste, fraud, and abuse.
According to Will, 60, reducing government waste would help pay for a universal education voucher program and do away with the state income tax.
According to Will, an entrepreneur, “I have a strange ability to break down budgets in Excel spreadsheets and find how to fix money (issues).” In Alpharetta, it had a significant impact.
Maya Prabhu is credited.
Maya Prabhu is credited.
Career paramedic or fireman Brice Futch is a Republican candidate seeking the Senate seat for the first time. The citizen of North Canton added that he supports a universal education voucher program.
According to 32-year-old Futch, no industry in the world performs better without competition. We think universal school choice benefits students, teachers, and schools.
Requests for response from Milton Republican Stephanie Donegan were not answered.
The number of Republicans in the contest, according to some Democratic political operatives, may divide conservative support and provide Debra Shigley with an opportunity to win the Senate seat.
Credit: Weymouth Watson and Kevin Lowery
Credit: Weymouth Watson and Kevin Lowery
Shigley, who ran unsuccessfully for a seat in Milton last year, stated that she would try to lower the cost of living for Georgians if elected.
Shigley, a mother of five and a former practicing lawyer, claimed that raising a family in Georgia is costly.
Shigley, 46, said, “I know what families are going through.” Affordability is a major concern for families who wish to give their children the best possible life.
This report was contributed to by Phoebe Quinton, a staff reporter.
