More local candidates filed Friday, the final day of qualifying to run in the May 24 party primaries.
Two Sandy Springs residents–including a Sandy Springs city councilman–are challenging incumbent Rep. Joe Wilkinson of Sandy Springs in the Republican primary. Deborah Silcox and Councilman Graham Elliott McDonald qualified to run in District 52, according to the secretary of state’s website. McDonald, an attorney elected to the City Council in 2013, confirmed in an email that he is running for the House office, but did not have immediate comment. He also provided a photo of himself with Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul at the state capitol filing the candidacy paperwork.
In the race for the District 42 seat in the state Senate, Kenneth Brett Quarterman filed to run as a Republican and challenge Democratic incumbent Sen. Elena Parent in November, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s election website.
Two Democrats field to run for the Senate seat representing District 56, which now is held by Sen. John Albers, a Roswell Republican. Akhtar Sadiq and Patrick Thompson, both of Roswell, filed Friday and will meet in the Democratic primary.
In District 54, Democrat Robert “Bob” Gibeling qualified to run in the November election against Rep. Beth Beskin, the Republican incumbent.
In District 80, three Republicans will compete in the primary to challenge incumbent Rep. Taylor Bennett, a Democrat, in the fall. Alan Cole of Atlanta joined Catherine Bernard and Meagan Hanson of Brookhaven on the Republican ballot.
In primary races for DeKalb CEO, Jack Lovelace of Atlanta filed to run as a Republican. Three candidates – Connie Stokes and Joe Bembry of Decatur and Michael Thurmond of Stone Mountain – have filed to run in the Democratic primary.
–John Ruch contributed to this story.