Last Saturday evening myself, my mother, Second Vice Chair Tammy Cotton and party members Gary and Linda Carroll and John, Maria and Gillian Caudill attended the Candidate Countdown at Cateechee in Hartwell.  The event was a joint effort of the Republican Parties of Banks, Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Hart, Jackson, Oconee, Oglethorpe and Stephens counties.  Around 250 people attended including most statewide candidates and staff. A great meal of Hawaiian chicken, rice, green beans, rolls and salad was served.

Hart County GOP Chair Janet Massey and her committee are to be commended on a job well done!

A straw poll was taken for fun and should not be construed as anything but a sampling of those present.

Below are the results from the Hart County Republican Party's website, www.hartcountygop.org.

(Contested races only) 

Number of votes followed by percentage

Governor 
Ray Boyd 0 
Jeff Chapman 12- 6.8% 
Nathan Deal 47- 26.6% 
Karen Handel 23- 13% 
Eric Johnson 37- 20.9% 
Ray McBerry 22- 12.4% 
John Oxendine 9- 5% 
Otis Putnam 0 
Austin Scott 26- 14.7% 
Other 1 -0.6% 

Lt. Governor 
Aleq Boyle 22-16% 
Casey Cagle 95-69% 
Other 21-15% 

U.S. Rep. District 10 
Paul C. Broun, M.D. 133-89% 
Cason Sisk 10-7% 
Other 6-4% 

Commissioner of Agriculture 
Gary Black 101-58% 
Darwin Carter 72-41% 
Other 1-1% 

Secretary of State 
Brian Kemp 61-35% 
Doug MacGinnitie 110-64% 
Other 2-1% 

Attorney General 
Sam Olens 79-46% 
Max Wood 92-53% 
Other 2-1% 

Insurance Commissioner 
Seth Harp 4-2% 
Ralph Hudgens 26-16% 
Tom Knox 3-2% 
Harold Logsdon 1-1% 
John Michael Mamalakis 1-1% 
Stephen Northington 5-3% 
Gerry Purcell 116-72% 
Maria Sheffield 6-4% 
Other 0 

State School Superintendent 
John Barge 16-10% 
Kathy Cox 32-19% 
Roger Hines 97-58% 
Richard Woods 19-11% 
Other 2-1% 

Georgia Representative District 113 
Hank Huckaby 11-16% 
Tommy Malcom 6-9% 
Kirk Shook 44-63% 
Other 9-13% 

Georgia Senate District 47 
Doug Bower 8-9% 
Shane Coley 37-40% 
Kelley Gary 19-21% 
Patricia “Pat” Graham 15-16% 
Other 13-14% 

Georgia Senate District 49 
Cecil T. “Butch” Miller 26-51% 
James Elliot Norman 13-25% 
Other 12-24% 

Georgia Healthcare Freedom Act - No law or rule or regulation shall compel any person, employer or health care provider to participate in any health care system. 
Yes 140-93% 
10-7%

Georgia Cabinet Form of Government Amendment - The heads of the state's Agricultural, Insurance, Labor and Education departments would be appointed by the Governor and subject to Senate confirmation. 
Yes 20-11% 
No 155-89% 

Life Constitutional Amendment - Do you support an amendment to the Georgia State Constitution so as to provide that the paramount right to life is vested in each human being from their earliest biological beginning until natural death? 
Yes 116-68% 
No 54-32%

Earlier this week state Rep. Bob Smith (R-Watkinsville) announced that he would not seek re-election this year after 12 years representing Oconee and surrounding counties in the Georgia General Assembly. I've known Rep. Smith for around 15 years and thank him for helping to spur my interest in campaigning.  I'd always been interested in politics and had enjoyed wearing t-shirts and buttons for my favorite candidates at an early age but never had actually participated in a grassroots ground game campaign until Rep. Smith's first campaign in 1998. From tagging mailboxes at all hours of the night to sign waving twice a day on Election Days, we did it all.

Bob Smith was and is a public servant in the true sense of the word and he never forgot where he came from and who he represented. Whether he agreed or disagreed with your opinion, he always took the time to listen to folks' concerns.  I'll miss his presence in the legislature but look forward to seeing him in town a lot more in winter and early spring. 

I ask that the candidates seeking to succeed him (as no one in my mind can ever replace him) look to Bob Smith as an example of a very fine representative.

During a conference call on the evening of Monday, Feb. 22, the state committee of the Georgia Republican Party approved the cities of Macon and Columbus as the sites for the 2011 and 2012 state party conventions. The main purpose of the 2011 convention will be to elect state party officers and the main purpose of the 2012 convention is to elect delegates and alternates to the Republican National Convention.

The 2011 convention will be held on May 12-13 and the 2012 convention is May 18-19.  The convention process starts with county and district conventions in March and April of each convention year.  The party does not hold conventions in gubernatorial election years such as 2010 and 2014.

Oconee GOP Chairman Jay Hanley is a member of the Georgia Republican Party state committee.