By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | For the last six years, there has been little change in government in Gwinnett.
The Gwinnett Commission has brought stability to county operations, under the leadership of Charlotte Nash and her other commissioners.
The Gwinnett School Board has had the same line-up of board members now for 12 years.
There has been continued stability in the cities of Gwinnett, except for problems in Snellville. That city’s operations now seem to run smoothly under Mayor Pro-tem Barbara Bender, awaiting the outcome of charges against former Mayor Tom Witts.
Yet you wonder, with 2018 being an election year, if could there be any upheaval in politics in the county. Even if new members were to come to the governing boards of the county, we would anticipate that few changes would be seen in the operations of its governments. After all, changing of a few members would not necessarily upset the applecart.
However, we all know, especially in Gwinnett, that change is on the way. The 2016 elections, where several candidates came close to upsetting incumbents, indicate that 2018 might see more close races, and might even see several newcomers elected.
At some point soon in Gwinnett, many anticipate an even stronger shift toward Democratic contenders winning elections. The Republicans have held onto most offices since 1984. With the obvious diversity and continued growth, we would be most surprised if more Democratic candidates did not win several elections.
Then remember that in the presidential election in 2016, Gwinnett went for Democrat Hillary Clinton. That alone should make some Republicans, who won close races, to be alert. They might not fare as well in 2018.
Many state offices will also be in contention in 2018. That includes the governor’s race, with new faces seeking that office. . That race always seems to attract the most attention. We can foresee the time, maybe not in 2018, when a Democratic might take the top spot, but the lower ticket statewide races remain in the hands of the Grand Old Party.
Another race that is being watched carefully in 2018 is that of the Seventh Congressional District. Incumbent Republican Rob Woodall some say faces a serious challenger for the Republican nomination. The winner then will have at least three Democratic candidates vying for the seat in Washington. With Democrats targeting that race as possibly winnable, this could be a stemwinder.
The year 2018 races might also have impact from the national political scene. In several special elections around the country in the last year, Democrats have shown remarkable strength in unseating Republicans. Some say that this is a reaction to the leadership of President Trump, with voters overwhelmingly rejecting his administration, and seeking to send a message that they don’t like his style of administration. Therefore, they send more Democrats to office.
Yet right now this is only the start of the second month of the year. Lots can happen, outside the political arena, which might influence this year’s politics.
All this interest in politics won’t be settled until November. However, deadline for qualifying for political primaries in Georgia is on March 9, just five weeks away. The primary vote will be on May 22, 2018.
So people who might want to throw their hat into the ring have only about five weeks to make up their minds if they want to run. If you have friends who are thinking about running, now is the time to encourage good candidates.
Those people to seek political office this year….well, it’s time to seriously consider it now.
Time’s a’wastin!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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