Judge candidates to speak at forums this week
Voter registration in time for the May election ends Tuesday.
There will be two forums this week where both superior court judge candidates will address their platforms.
Locally, attorneys Emily Matson and Kay Ann Wetherington are facing off for the seat being vacated by Floyd County Superior Court Chief Judge Tami Colston.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness Rome will host a community forum with the candi- dates today from 6-7:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 202 E. Third Ave. Both candidates will give a speech and then take questions.
On Thursday the Floyd County Republican Party will also have a similar event at 6 p.m. at Moe’s Original BBQ at 101 W. First St.
“The two judicial candidates will be speaking to our monthly meeting. They’ll make statements for about 10 minutes and then take questions from the floor,” said Andy Garner, chairman of the Floyd County Republican Party. “The whole thing will probably last about 30 or 40 minutes.”
In her most recent campaign finance report filed in the State Ethics Commission in March, Matson reported $18,466 in her account after taking in $47,466 in donations and spending $29,000 on her campaign.
Currently in private practice with her husband, Matson is a general civil litigator specializing in family law although she said she’s always had a strong interest in constitutional law.
Wetherington reported $36,594 in her campaign account after taking in donations totaling $63,551 and spending $26,957 through March 31.
Wetherington started out in private practice but took a job with the Floyd County district attorney’s office in 1998. As an assistant DA, she’s handled a wide variety of cases.
Voters must be registered by Tuesday to cast ballots in the May 22 primary and nonpartisan election.