Tuesday, June 17, 2024
Good morning! We start today with two key primary runoff races today in Coastal Georgia. We then look at the notable absence of the presidential campaigns at last weekend’s Juneteenth celebrations and an odd groundbreaking ceremony for a Chatham County official. Finally, we look at some political news affecting Coastal Georgia that you may have missed. Questions, comments, or story ideas? You can reach me at craig.thecurrent@gmail.com
NEWS: POLITICS
Going negative
It’s primary runoff day in Coastal Georgia.
Incumbent state representative (and establishment favorite) Steven Sainz is scrambling to save his political life in his contest with Glenn Cook in District 180, which encompasses Camden County and a sliver of south Glynn, along with Jekyll Island. The other notable runoff is between Amy Abbott and Bob Duncan for the District 2 seat on the Glynn County Commission being vacated by Cap Fendig.
Following the conventional political wisdom that fanning fear and anger is the most effective tool in mobilizing voters to the polls — especially in an election where turnout is expected to be very low — the waning days and hours of both campaigns have been highlighted by negative campaigning.
Outside groups supporting the ultraconservative Sainz, who touts himself as champion of “Camden County and Coastal Georgia values,” have flooded District 180 with fliers portraying Cook as a liberal and a “friend” of former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, though Cook describes himself as a “Reagan Republican” and tells The Current’s Craig Nelson he has never met Abrams or had any communication with her.
In the Glynn County commissioner’s race, the most divisive issue has been the construction of a $6 million traffic circle at Sea Island Road and Frederica Road, writes The Current’s Glynn County reporter, Jabari Gibbs. But even there, negative campaigning has seeped in, with an ad in the Brunswick News that said Abbott was an active Democrat when she lived in Ohio — an allegation she denies.
NEWS: COMMUNTY
A vibrant Juneteenth — but where were the presidential campaigns?
The Current’s reporters fanned out over the weekend to Juneteenth commemorations in Glynn, Liberty and Chatham counties. What they saw and reported were throngs of families and performers determined to keep alive the memory of emancipation from slavery.
Notably absent, however, were well-resourced stands and tables of the U.S. presidential candidates, writes Editor in Chief Margaret Coker.
In what is expected to be a hotly contested race for Coastal Georgia’s Black votes by President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the uplifting community get-togethers were an obvious and ideal way to interact with civically engaged residents.
Yet Biden’s reelection campaign had no swag or voter information at the celebrations, even though it has now opened offices in Savannah and Glynn County. Team Trump had no visible presence, either, even though it, too, says it’s serious about attracting Black voters. It has no identifiable ground game in Coastal Georgia.
Local politicians, meanwhile, used the weekend for glad-handing. In Savannah, Mayor Van Johnson, a member of the Democratic National Committee and a Biden surrogate, attended the Juneteenth fundraiser for the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club at The Grey on Saturday.
At the Wells Park Juneteenth event, veteran civil rights leader and state Rep. Carl Gilliard (D-Savannah) showed up. So did Joyce Griggs, three-time Democratic candidate for the 1st District congressional seat who is running for the seat in November as an independent. In Liberty County, Rep. Al Williams (D-Hinesville) held court in Hinesville. In Glynn County, members of the Black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha urged the crowds to get active ahead of the November election.
NEWS: GOVERNING
Oops
You know it’s election season when officials facing reelection announce, usually with great fanfare, new building projects or cut ribbons on completed ones.
Such was the case with Chatham County Commission Chairman Chester Ellis, who led a parade of elected officials and other top area political officials in wielding ceremonial shovels and breaking ground last month for a much-delayed, multimillion-dollar public safety center for the county.
Progress towards establishing the center was welcome news following a spate of well-publicized problems over the county’s 911 call center and ambulance service.
But in all the hoopla surrounding the ground-breaking, one thing wasn’t acknowledged, as The Current’s Jake Shore soon discovered as he dug into the details of the project: The county hasn’t even hired a contractor to build on the 83,000-square-foot site.
If that weren’t embarrassment enough, county officials were later forced to confirm that the first round of bidding for a contractor had elicited only one bid and had been unsuccessful. A new pre-qualification process is underway.
Ellis had no opposition in last month’s Democratic primary. In the fall, he faces Republican Joel Boblasky, a real estate broker who said in a recent Facebook post that he’s campaigning to “troubleshoot the issues our growing population has created on our county resources.”
NEWS: NOTES
ICYMI
- Hospitalized: At last word, Chatham County Sheriff John Wilcher was still hospitalized in critical condition due to an undisclosed illness. The sheriff’s office announced his condition in a Facebook post on Sunday.
- Campaign underway: The announcement came just days after Wilcher held a campaign fundraiser at the Savannah Gun Club attending by local political notables, including state Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah), state Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah), Chatham County District 6 Commissioner and Chatham County Democratic Party Chairman Aaron “Adot” Whitely, and former Republican lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Seaver. Wilcher is scheduled to face Richard Coleman in the sheriff’s race in November.
- Honk: Seaver, head of Moms Against Gambling, led a car rally of honking and flag-waving Donald Trump supporters through the streets of Chatham County on Saturday to mark the former president’s 78th birthday.
- Headed to Georgia’s courts? A federal judge last week struck down a 2023 Florida law that blocked gender-affirming care for transgender minors and severely restricted such treatment for adults, calling the statute unconstitutional.
- Setting the table: Trump and Biden agree on ground rules for their debate in Atlanta in just nine days.
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Coastal Georgia celebrates Juneteenth 2024
By The Current
Communities have planned various celebrations throughout the days ahead to recognize and celebrate Juneteenth. We’ll file reports and photos from across the area over the week ahead.
Brunswick marks Juneteenth at Selden Park
By Jabari Gibbs
Black history is embedded in Selden Park, and event set for Brunswick residents to prioritize civic engagement to honor their ancestors.
Sainz’s reelection struggle against Cook goes negative
By Craig Nelson
Steven Sainz is facing Glenn Cook, a lawyer and former U.S. Navy and Delta Airlines pilot, in a race surprisingly close given Sainz’s large campaign war chest and ties to lobbyists.
Sapelo Island residents renew rezoning fight at historic community
By Mary Landers
A Georgia attorney for the last intact Gullah Geechee island community says new county zoning law is “discriminatory.”
Glynn County Commission District 2 candidates talk final days of campaign in Republican runoff
By Jabari Gibbs
In June 2022, the county commission approved a $6 million budget for constructing a roundabout at Sea Island Rd and Frederica Rd. Whoever wins Tuesday’s runoff is expected to wield significant influence over the rollout of this project.
Liberty County School System bans cell phones during class
By Robin Kemp
Students will be required to use these bags that magnetically lock their cell phones while in class and only demagnetize when a student passes the bag over an unlocking device installed near exits.
Georgia Supreme Court rules against county’s property seizure from catalytic converter recyclers
By Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
Civil asset forfeiture opponents see win in recent Georgia Supreme Court ruling involving Bainbridge-area recycling company and catalytic converters.
Chatham broke ground for its public safety facility — but still lacks a contractor
By Jake Shore
Chatham County officials hold celebratory public safety center groundbreaking event without securing a contractor to build the $89 million facility. This raises questions as county leaders are up for reelection.
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