There will be a called meeting tomorrow in the Senate Chambers to elect a new DOT Commissioner from the 8th Congressional District after the current Commissioner from that seat resigned a few weeks ago. Why is this important? Due to the geography of that particular district, it can swing to help either metro Atlanta or rural Georgia. Its northern edges are in the southern metro Atlanta area, and its southern edges are in the Cordele/Tifton area.
The candidates include former US Congressman Mac Collins, former state Representative David Graves, former GOP Congressional candidate Calder Clay, and Sydney Ross from Irwin County.
Apparently, Graves resigned his House seat 4 yrs ago after a failed attempt to use legislative immunity did not keep him from getting arrested a couple of times for DUI. Collins, being a former Congressman from the area, has a great deal of political connections. Clay and Graves, both hailing from Macon, are expected to split the Macon delegation, and Ross is expected to have the support of newly elected House Transportation Chairman Jay Roberts (R-Ocilla).
This race could get particularly interesting if no one achieves the required 50% + 1 votes to outright win on the first ballot, and candidates begin to throw their support behind other candidates on the race. At that point, alliances could shift in interesting and potentially unexpected ways, allowing a dark horse to emerge the winner.
With the new House Transportation Chairman having been named earlier this month as a man from South GA, will we now see another South Georgian elected into another key role in state Transportation leadership?
We should find out sometime tomorrow afternoon!
If Collins is not selected, I hope he skips another run for congress in the 8th District.
.-= slyram´s last blog ..Blue Dogs and George Bush: American Apartheid? =-.
I’d like for Collins to get it, just to free up the Congressional spot.
.-= Ronald Daniels´s last blog ..Conversations with Grandpa, Part I =-.