Members of the DeKalb County Republican Party held a Mass Meeting Saturday morning at the Courthouse.
The purpose of the meeting was to select delegates to the January 30th DeKalb County Republican Convention and to give potential candidates an opportunity to formally announce their candidacies.
Republican incumbents Sheriff Patrick Ray, Trustee Sean Driver, Road Supervisor Kenny Edge, First District County Commissioner Mason Carter, and Second District County Commissioner Bobby Joines all announced their intentions to seek re-election.
Click here to listen to candidate announcements
In his remarks to the party faithful, Sheriff Patrick Ray, who is running for his second term, said he is thankful for their support and believes he has fulfilled his pledge to the people of DeKalb County. “Four years ago I stood before you asking for the nomination for the office of Sheriff. With your nomination and vote and the votes of the DeKalb County voters in August, 2006 I was elected to that office. Since taking the office of Sheriff, I’ve worked hard to improve the quality of life to the citizens by providing them with accountable and professional law enforcement. During my time as your Sheriff, I have fulfilled my campaign promises, which was to run a professional and accountable Sheriff’s Department, to spend our tax dollars wisely, to work hard on the trafficking of illegal drugs, and to provide responsive and respectful law enforcement services to the citizens and visitors of DeKalb County. Under my leadership, the Sheriff’s Department has provided cooperative relationships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. I’ve worked closely with civic organizations throughout the county and I have tried to make myself available to you at all times. I would like the opportunity to continue to lead our Sheriff’s Department in a forward direction. I have enjoyed serving as your Sheriff. While a lot of things have changed over the last four years in our communities, my commitment for professionalism and accountability has not changed. It is my desire to continue to work for the citizens of DeKalb County. With that said, at this time I humbly ask for the nomination for the office of Sheriff in the August 2010 General Election.”
Trustee Sean Driver, seeking his second term, says the Trustee’s office is now more computer friendly and he has made sound investments of the county’s money. “Thank you for your nomination in 2006 to run for this wonderful office, the Trustee’s Office. It has been such a privilege and an honor just to do that job and to give everyone my best ability to do that job to the best of my knowledge. I do want to ask you once again for your nomination for the 2010 nomination. I want to tell you a little about what I have accomplished in these last three and a half years. I have brought the office up to a modernization level. We are on full computer now. I do have a lot of ideas that I want to get accomplished in the next four years if I were to be elected and nominated. We are of the understanding that our offices may be moved out to the Food Center shopping center and I have a lot of ideas as to where I could take the office if I were to get this nomination. I have invested the money wisely and I give reports on a monthly and tri-monthly basis as to where that money is being spent and being invested. As of this date and finishing out the four years, I will have brought the money back into the county at around the two million dollar mark. So investments have worked well for this county and we’re very pleased with that. I thank you so much.”
Road Supervisor Kenny Edge, who was first elected in 1990, said he would continue to serve the county as best he could with the money he is allocated by the state. “I ask for your vote and nomination in being re- elected for four more years. I’ll continue to do like I have in the past, I’ll do the best job that I can do on what tax monies I get without asking for more or raising the taxes. In the past I borrowed a million dollars. That’s never been done. I paid every bit of it back with my own gas tax money and I’m out of debt. I’ve got a little bit ahead but the next four years is going to be a challenge because people are not burning as much fuel on account of the cost of it. My money is staying basically the same but everything I’m buying, inflation is killing us. I mean when we’re paying over two dollars a gallon for diesel and then paying $10,000 a load for oil to tar a road with, where we used to get it for three thousand dollars a load. It’s a challenge. But I’ll continue to do the best that I can do on what I can get and I appreciate any help that you all can help me with.”
First District County Commissioner Mason Carter, seeking his second term, asked for the support of the first district delegates. “If it would be your pleasure I’d like to run again.”
Second District County Commissioner Bobby Joines, running for his third term, said he would continue to help spend the taxpayers money wisely. “I came here going on eight years ago asking for this same position. We made it and I would like to ask for your help again. I’m only one of fourteen commissioners but I’ve tried to take care of tax dollars and handle it as if it was my own because I’m a taxpayer too. So I would appreciate your help for another four years in nominating me.”
In addition to the local candidates, Kerry Roberts of Springfield announced his candidacy for 6th District Congressman in the August State Republican Primary. Click here to listen to his comments
or click the following link to read more about him. http://www.kerryroberts.com/landing/#a_bio
Jennifer Winfree, Chairperson of the DeKalb County Republican Party, announced that the convention will meet on Saturday, January 30th at 10:00 a.m. at the courthouse to formally nominate candidates to run in the August General Election. She added that other potential candidates have until January 30th to make their intentions known. “We will meet back in this room two weeks from today at the same time to let the delegates from each district vote for the candidates for each of these offices. On January 30th, we will hold our convention and vote on each Republican candidate. Any Republican who wants to seek an office can announce as late as January 30th.”
Winfree also urged her fellow Republicans to join the effort to keep DeKalb County “red”.”I appreciate what you do and thank you for being an important part of our party. “Next year will be an exciting year for our party. It will take all of us in this room and others who could not attend today to hold true to our conservative principles as Republicans and keep this county red. We have some great candidates seeking office. They are talented individuals who seek to serve and better DeKalb County. I thank them for their public service.”
Delegates selected during the Mass Meeting are as follows:
1st district: Tom Chandler, Laura Chandler, Mason Carter, Jerry Childress
2nd district: Sandy Brown, Don Adamson, Charles Robinson, Donny Green, (alternate Darry Driver)
3rd district: Taft Hendrixson, Karen Caplinger, Vester Parsley, George LeFevre (alternate J.C. Carter)
4th district: Joe Collins, Bertha McBride, and Joan Draper
5th district: Larry Green, Jerry Adcock, Kiki Brown, Wink Brown (alternate Becky Oliver)
6th district: Grady Ray, Tracy Ray, Roy Ray, Patsy Ray (alternate Melvin Ray)
7th district: Todd Lassiter, Misty Lassiter, James Cantrell, Johnny Lattimore (alternate Amy Gay)
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