Candidate Repeats His Pitch For Secretary of State Office In Meeting With Oconee County Republicans

***Early Voting For Runoff Underway***

Brad Raffensperger, running for Georgia secretary of state, had the same message for the Oconee County Republicans at their meeting last week as he had when he spoke to the group in January in the runup to the May Republican Party Primary.

Now competing in the primary runoff set for July 24, Raffensperger said he is motivated to seek the office to make sure only Americans vote in Georgia elections, to make sure the state is a great place to find a job, and to guarantee that the state is a great place to build a business.

Oconee County To Spend Nearly $9 Million In SPLOST Monies In Fiscal Year 2019

***Facilities Spending Detailed***

Oconee County will spend $275,000 out of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax revenues for a variety of facilities projects in the upcoming fiscal year, including for heating and air conditioning replacement at the Oconee County Library and at the Government Annex.

Alex Newell, management analyst with the county, released details of facility projects to be funded by SPLOST to the public and the Board of Commissioners at the Board meeting on Tuesday evening.

Russ Page Says His Oconee County Activism Sprang From His Farming

***Leaving For North Carolina***

Russ Page didn’t grow up on a farm, but he began working on one when he was 11.

It was the love of animals and of farming that brought Page to the University of Georgia in 1981 and to Oconee County.

Items Not On Oconee County Industrial Development Authority Agenda Can Dominate Those On Agenda

***Last Month An Example***

The official agenda for the regular meeting of Oconee County Industrial Authority on Monday is the standard one.

It includes adoption of the agenda and the financial report for the Authority as well as reports from individual members.”

Superior Court Judge Quick Fails In Election Bid While Superior Court Judge Norris Turns Back Challenge

***Oconee Incumbents Get Primary Support***

Lisa Lott, formerly Chief Assistant Public Defender for Clarke and Oconee counties, ousted Regina Quick as Superior Court Judge in voting Tuesday in the Nonpartisan General Judicial Election held in conjunction with the Democratic and Republican State Primary elections.

Eric Norris, holder of another Superior Court Judgeship for Clarke and Oconee counties, held off a challenge from Allison Mauldin, chief assistant district attorney for the Ocmulgee District.

Incumbents On Oconee County Board Of Commissioners, Board Of Education Survive Primary Challenges

***Judicial Races Unsettled***

Oconee County Board of Commissioners member William “Bubber” Wilkes emerged victorious from the Republican Party Primary on Tuesday, with 71.9 percent of the vote to John Laster's 28.1 percent.

Incumbent Board of Education Member Amy Parrish also won the Republian Party nomiation for her Board seat, getting 71.0 percent of the vote to 29.0 percent for Adam Spence.

Judicial Races Dominate Discussion At Oconee County Democratic Committee Meeting

Turnout Low In Early Voting

The nonpartisan race for two Superior Court judgeships dominated the Oconee County Democratic Committee meeting this past week, with both candidates Allison Mauldin and Eric Norris in attendance.

Mauldin and Norris are both seeking the judgeship held by Norris in the Western Judicial Circuit, which includes Oconee and Clarke counties.