Fresh Loaf

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Historically, the Fulton County sheriff’s race is won in the Democratic primary, with the general election a mere footnote. There’s little reason to think that won’t also be the case this year.

Democratic nominee Theodore Jackson, a retired career FBI agent and former interim sheriff, is both qualified and capable of running the troubled department with a professionalism and effectiveness that was beyond the reach of soon-to-be-ex-Sheriff Myron Freeman.

Jackson’s opponent, Republican Michael Rary, also has a strong resume; as Fulton’s former chief marshal, Rary headed a department that provided security to the county’s lower courts and served magistrate warrants. (more…)

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Looks like Michael Rary is searching for a way to gain attention in his underdog race for the Fulton County sheriff’s office. The Republican nominee is proposing to privatize the county’s troubled jail.

Rary faces former FBI official Theodore Jackson in the Nov. 3 General Election. Jackson, who ran the jail briefly under a court order, defeated incumbent Sheriff Myron Freeman in an Aug. 5 Democratic runoff.

Rary’s press release comes after the jump. (more…)

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Georgia’s primary runoffs are a week from today. And early voting takes place though this Friday at a handful of voting stations.

The stakes are high — higher maybe than they were in July 15 primary. The big three races inside the Perimeter — Democratic contests for U.S. Senate, DeKalb CEO and Fulton sheriff — all went into runoffs. And one of the runoffs (actually, most likely two) will determine who takes office in January.

A quick, comprehensive Loafer’s guide to the runoffs comes after the jump. We’ve endorsed in bold where we figured we knew enough about the race to offer good advice. (more…)

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Here’s a quick rundown on the July 15 Georgia primary results. The big news was generated by high-stakes runoffs:

* U.S. senator: The two experienced Democrats — Vernon Jones and Joe Martin — vanquished three first-time candidates and will face each other in an Aug. 5 runoff. With 91 percent of precincts counted, DeKalb CEO Jones won 40 percent of the vote, while Martin got 35 percent. Martin — who entered the race late and has been criticized for a lackluster campaign — may have a slight edge in the runoff: He has more money in the bank, he seems more likely to pick up support from supporters of other candidates, and his largely white base historically shows up for runoffs better than does Jones’ base of black voters. What does Jones have going for him? A runoff in the contest for who will replace him as DeKalb CEO could spur turnout in his home county. The winner takes on Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss in November.

* DeKalb County CEO: The contest for the most powerful local government post in the state heads for a runoff as well, although DeKalb Commissioner Burrell Ellis turned out an impressive showing with 46 percent of the vote. No surprise that he’ll face well-liked state Rep. Stan Watson in the runoff. But a 20 point head start has gotta give Ellis the edge. (more…)

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