Liberty County is leading the counties of Coastal Georgia in early voter turnout for the May 19 general primary and nonpartisan elections, as residents say they are motivated by frustration with incumbent leaders and high property taxes.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday May 7, 2,513 voters had cast early ballots in person and 73 by mail-in or drop box. That represents 5.8% of the county’s 44,531 registered voters.
Among the primary races to be decided in the overwhelmingly Democratic Party stronghold is who should represent the county at the state house: longtime Rep. Al Williams or challenger Sabrina Newby.
Of 17 voters The Current GA spoke to, nine were reluctant to speak about the candidates they selected, or their political priorities. Eight others said they were eager for a change in local leaders, and candidates who would counter rising taxes.
Dallas Leach of Allenhurst, sporting a Vietnam veteran’s cap, had plenty to say as he left the polling place in Midway.
“Some of the people needed to be updated and I took the first step to do that,” he said.
Leach said he did his homework on all candidates at the county, state, and federal level. He wasn’t impressed by those on the ballot.
“Republican, Democrat, anybody, everybody,” he said. “They’re up there not doing what they’re paid to do, not advocating for the people, taking advantage for their friends.”
One point of anger for him: the Hinesville Bypass, which is currently under construction in Walthourville.
“They’ve been working on that 20-some years,” he said. “How is it that they got the money that long? People working on the same post as 20 years ago?”
George Burton, who lives on Seabrook Island in Midway, voted Monday. His top issue: high property taxes.
“Oh, my God, property taxes are definitely too high for lil’ Liberty County!” he said. “That’s my biggest personal issue. That really needs to be addressed and looked into. It doesn’t add up. No way property tax should be as high as it is here.”
Burton also expressed anger with incumbents.
“I think some are maybe a little too comfortable,” he said. “Taxes have gone up the past four years, people have been complaining about it, and we don’t really see anything done about it.”
After casting his vote Wednesday morning, Riceboro resident Ralph Ward said he was worried about “Taxes, primarily property taxes. Mainly, it’s just taxes overall,” he said.
Ward also said, “Candidates in Liberty County turn a blind eye to justice…. It’s 2026. Still playing out of the same old playbook….People don’t realize that stuff is really hurting them, just to get to a certain group of people. I don’t understand how people can have so much hate in their hearts.”
Some local voters spent the week getting educated about issues.
Britney Mays of Hinesville attended a candidate meet and greet at District 2 Commissioner Justin Frasier’s Huta Lounge Wednesday night. She said had not really been politically active before and had come out to hear what candidates had to say.
“I feel like a lot of stuff is kind of not talked about here, a lot of stuff is under the table here, so this opportunity to be here and actually see what they have to say was just an amazing opportunity,” Mays said.
Mays, who graduated from Bradwell Institute, has watched a few school board meetings and has nieces and nephews in the school system. The top issue for her at the forum was the candidates’ stance on education. “Period. Point blank. Like if we don’t have education, if that’s not solid, we can’t get anywhere as a whole. So I feel like anybody that is focusing on the education of our children, making sure that we have good people in place to make that happen, is the most important candidate of all.”
She says the recent rezoning that shifted students to different schools “was hard for a lot of parents. I feel like there should have been a little bit more planning when it came to that.”
The only candidates for Liberty County School Board at the meeting were current chair Verdelle Jones and paraprofessional Tim King, who is one of four challengers for that seat, and School Board District 6 candidate Richard D. Hayes.
Other candidates who spoke were Frasier, who is running unchallenged in Commission District 2; Janelle Johns, who is challenging longtime District 3 Commissioner Connie Thrift; incumbent Georgia House District 168 State Rep. Al Williams; Georgia Senate District 1 candidates Corey Foreman and Barbara Gooby; and U.S. House District 1 candidates Defonsio Daniels, Joyce Marie Griggs, Amanda Hollowell, Michael McCord, Sharon Stokes-Williamson, and Randy Zurcher. No Republican candidates attended.
Robert Johns of Hinesville, also puts property taxes and schools high on his priority list. (His wife, Janelle, is a Board of Commissioners candidate in District 3.) “I have nine grandbabies growing up in the school system, school lunches, just a lot of stuff,” he said. “The yard floods when it rains. Infrastructure, putting in place for drainage, and stuff like that.”
He said it’s time to vote new people into office: “I feel there’s a lot of people that’s in chairs that’s been in there for a long time, that has old mindsets. It’s a new generation coming up with new ideas like that…. I think some of the chairs need to be refreshed.”
Greg Bryant from unincorporated Riceboro said high taxes and the cost of living are driving his vote, and that he has issues with transparency in local government, especially business done behind closed doors.
“That’s the problem,” he said. “The same structure has been in place in Liberty County for years. And personally, I think it’s time for change because the other people are not getting any opportunities. You talk about fairness and equality, that’s what we’re looking for. Don’t just tell us something and then, once you get elected, nothing happens. You don’t answer calls, all those campaign promises are out the window.”
As for property taxes, he said, “It’s outrageous. You’ve got people pushing agendas and legislation that they don’t even know about.”
Election Day is Tuesday May 19, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check mvp.sos.ga.gov for your regular polling place.
You must be logged in to post a comment.