Voter questions wanted for Voter’s Guide

With the August 20 primaries approaching, political campaigns are well underway in Holmes and Washington counties. 

Kent Smith Group is pleased to announce the return of each county’s Voter’s Guide, a publication in which Holmes County Advertiser and Washington County News staff will ask each local candidate questions submitted by the voters.

Each respective edition will publish Wednesday, July 17. Vote by mail ballots will start making their way to voters who requested to vote via mail the second week of July. Early voting will be held from August 5-10 in Holmes County and from August 5-17 in Washington County.

The Voter’s Guide will contain messages from the candidates, vital election information, and candidates’ answers to your questions – everything you need to make an informed decision.

Due to space constraints, the top five questions for each race will be selected based on factors such as frequency in which they are asked  and relevancy to the race/office.

It is rare that a candidate declines to answer voter questions. However, it has happened. If that becomes the case, it will be noted in the Voter’s Guide.

Submit your questions for the candidates by emailing: [email protected]. Please be sure to include your county of interest. Feel free to ask questions of all candidates or just the races in which you are most interested. Deadline for question submissions is 5 p.m. Friday, June 14, to allow interview time with candidates.

If you are a candidate wishing to expand your campaign messaging by advertising in the Voter’s Guide, contact Carol Kent at [email protected] or by calling 850-703-0089.

Contested races in each county are (only contested races are listed):

Holmes

County Commissioner District 1

·      Jeff Good (incumbent)

·      Wilmer Stafford

County Commissioner District 3

·      Mitch Johnson

·      Lee Moss

County Commissioner District 5

·      Clint Erickson (incumbent)

·      Jackie Faircloth

·      J. Wayne Marsh

School Board, District 4

·      Shirley Owens (incumbent)

·      Derek Worley

Tax Collector

·      Harry Bell (incumbent)

·      Taylor Russ

School Superintendent

·      Buddy Brown (incumbent)

·      Ron Dixon

Washington

County Commissioner District 1

·      Ashlynn Casey Marquez

·      David L. Riley

·      Troy Cunningham

·      Tim Birge

County Commissioner District 3

·      John W. Gay

·      John W. “Tray” Hawkins (incumbent)

·      Joey Brock

County Commissioner District 5

·      David A. Corbin (incumbent)

·      Benita Crittendon

Supervisor of Elections

·      Deidra Malloy Pettis (incumbent)

·      Cara Griffin Steele

School Board Member District 2

·      Lou Cleveland (incumbent)

·      Jason Eli Smith

Superintendent of Schools

·      Samuel E. Cox

·      Thomas Andrew Register

·      Joseph Taylor (incumbent)

Contested regional races are:

United States Senator

Republicans

·      Rick Scott – (incumbent)

·      John Columbus

·      Keith Gross

Democrats

·      Stanley Campbell

·      Akan Grayson

·      Rod Joseph

·      Debbie Murcarsel-Powell

·      Brian Rush

Representative in Congress: District 2

Republicans

·      Neal Dunn (incumbent)

·      Rhonda Woodward

State Attorney: Judicial Circuit 14

Republicans

·      Larry Basford (incumbent)

·      Eric Garmon