Coomer’s father to seek his seat
A special election is expected to be called to fill the state House District 14 seat after the incumbent accepts a judgeship.
The father of state Rep. Christian Coomer has filed paperwork to seek his son’s District 14 seat — and he comes with endorsements and cash from top Republican leaders in the House.
Coomer, a Cartersville attorney, was running for re-election unopposed when Gov. Nathan Deal announced on Friday his appointment to the Georgia Court of Appeals. On Monday, Ken Coomer announced his candidacy.
“After a lifetime of service to others as a United States Marine, pastor and counselor and local leader, I am no stranger to getting the job done for my community,” Ken Coomer said in a press release.
The 14th District covers the southeast quadrant of Floyd and northern half of Bartow County.
A special election will be called to fill Christian Coomer’s seat and there will be an open qualifying period, but the dates have not yet been set, according to Candice Broce, press secretary for the Georgia Secretary of State.
“We have not received a withdrawal notice that will officially take him out of the election,” Broce said Monday.
Ken Coomer is senior pastor at Adairsville Church of God. In his announcement, he said he already has over $60,000 in his campaign fund and endorsements from House Speaker David Ralston, Senate President Pro Tem Butch Miller, House Majority Leader Jon Burns and Majority Caucus Chair Matt Hatchett.
Ruth Demeter, who chairs the Floyd County Democratic Party, said a decision has not yet been made on contesting the seat, which is suddenly without an incumbent.
“The Floyd and Bartow County parties will put their heads together to see about coming up with a qualified candidate,” she said Monday.
Two of the county’s four Georgia General Assembly delegates are being challenged in the Nov. 6 general election and absentee ballots can be mailed out as early as today.
Locally, two Floyd County school board members and two County Commissioners are unopposed for re-election, but Commission Chair Rhonda Wallace is facing a challenge from Democrat Stephanie Wright.
There also are contests to fill every statewide post: governor; lieutenant governor; secretary of state; attorney general; the commissioners of agriculture, insurance and labor; state school superintendent and two seats on the Public Service Commission.
The Rome-Floyd County NAACP is planning a nonpartisan candidate forum for Oct. 9 at the Rome Civic Cen- ter on Jackson Hill. Spokesman Alvin Jackson said letters have gone out to all candidates on the ballot.
“We also invited the local candidates who don’t have opposition. If they want to come and make a statement and socialize with their constituents, that would be good,” Jackson said.
The free event starts at 5 p.m. with an hour of refreshments and a chance for attendees to submit questions that may be asked by the moderator, the Rev. Lashounia Sanders. The forum itself runs from 6 to 8 p.m.
“We want to provide a chance for people to meet their elected officials face to face and ask them questions. Some people don’t even know who their representatives are, and this is an important election,” Jackson said.
A number of organizations’ local chapters are involved in the voter education forum, including AARP, the MLK Commission, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the League of Women Voters and 100 Black Men.