Post by Master-9 on May 5, 2004 19:14:10 GMT -5
Shunning party lines, Putnam sheriff seeking re-election as independent
By Sharon E. Crawford
Telegraph Staff Writer
Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills is taking a stand on his belief that sheriff's races in Georgia should be nonpartisan.
This time around, the 48-year-old candidate is running as an independent and is now gathering signatures of support. So far, Sills has gathered almost 400 of the 507 needed to run for the office.
"I thought about doing this during the last election, but changed my mind at the last minute," said Sills, who previously ran as a Democrat. "But the more I looked at the law, the more I realized that I needed to do this."
In Georgia, a person has to obtain signatures from one percent of the county's registered voters to run as an independent. Once they obtain those signatures, they don't have to do so in future races.
Sills has until June 28 to qualify as an independent and his name will appear only on the Nov. 2 general election ballot. Last week, only Democratic candidate George Jackson qualified to run against Sills.
Last week, Sills ran an advertisement in two Putnam County newspapers that he was running as an independent candidate and asked registered voters to support him. Sills said almost 300 registered voters showed up at the public library Saturday to sign his petition.
"I didn't even have to go door to door," Sills said. "They've been coming to me ever since seeing it in the newspaper. A lot of people have asked me why I don't want to run as a Democrat or Republican ... but most people have heard me talk about it over the years."
Sills said Pickens County Sheriff Billy Wofford also is running as an independent candidate.
For several years, Sills and other sheriffs have lobbied to have the sheriff's race nonpartisan. Although an overwhelming number of the state's sheriffs want their elections to be nonpartisan, the Legislature has rejected several proposals to change these elections.
The last attempt was in 2003, when legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Ross Tolleson, R-Perry, passed the Senate by a 35-15 vote, but failed to be voted on by the House.
Sills said the problem is that Democrats in the House don't want to give up control that comes from having a Democratic sheriff in office.
"The democratic leadership does not want it passed," Sills said. "They've got it bottled up and it won't get a house vote."
By Sharon E. Crawford
Telegraph Staff Writer
Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills is taking a stand on his belief that sheriff's races in Georgia should be nonpartisan.
This time around, the 48-year-old candidate is running as an independent and is now gathering signatures of support. So far, Sills has gathered almost 400 of the 507 needed to run for the office.
"I thought about doing this during the last election, but changed my mind at the last minute," said Sills, who previously ran as a Democrat. "But the more I looked at the law, the more I realized that I needed to do this."
In Georgia, a person has to obtain signatures from one percent of the county's registered voters to run as an independent. Once they obtain those signatures, they don't have to do so in future races.
Sills has until June 28 to qualify as an independent and his name will appear only on the Nov. 2 general election ballot. Last week, only Democratic candidate George Jackson qualified to run against Sills.
Last week, Sills ran an advertisement in two Putnam County newspapers that he was running as an independent candidate and asked registered voters to support him. Sills said almost 300 registered voters showed up at the public library Saturday to sign his petition.
"I didn't even have to go door to door," Sills said. "They've been coming to me ever since seeing it in the newspaper. A lot of people have asked me why I don't want to run as a Democrat or Republican ... but most people have heard me talk about it over the years."
Sills said Pickens County Sheriff Billy Wofford also is running as an independent candidate.
For several years, Sills and other sheriffs have lobbied to have the sheriff's race nonpartisan. Although an overwhelming number of the state's sheriffs want their elections to be nonpartisan, the Legislature has rejected several proposals to change these elections.
The last attempt was in 2003, when legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Ross Tolleson, R-Perry, passed the Senate by a 35-15 vote, but failed to be voted on by the House.
Sills said the problem is that Democrats in the House don't want to give up control that comes from having a Democratic sheriff in office.
"The democratic leadership does not want it passed," Sills said. "They've got it bottled up and it won't get a house vote."
