Georgia Primary 2024: What’s on your ballot?

While the race for president is getting much of the attention in the 2024 election cycle, Georgia voters will also be electing officials for local, state, and federal office this year. Some of those races will be on the ballot for the state’s primary on May 21.

This year’s election does not include the high-profile statewide offices, such as governor, lieutenant governor, or secretary of state, as those positions were all elected in 2022, and won’t be up for election again until 2026. Also, neither of Georgia’s two U.S. Senators, Jon Ossoff or Raphael Warnock, are up for election this year. The only offices that will be on every Georgia voter’s primary ballot will be a single state Supreme Court race and a single Georgia Court of Appeals race.

In Southeast Georgia, there will only be a few legislative races on the primary ballot, as most seats are not contested or will only appear on ballots in the general election. Most of the races on the ballot will be for local offices, such as sheriff, county commission, and school board.

In addition, the state Democratic and Republican parties have placed several questions on their party’s ballot. These questions are not binding, and are generally used to help party officials determine future priorities.

Scroll down to continue reading about the primaries for Congress, the state legislature, state judges, and a district attorney, as well as the party questions. To see who is on local ballots, go directly to voter’s guides for Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Glynn, Pierce, and Ware counties.

Supreme Court of Georgia

One of the nine seats on the state Supreme Court is up for election this year, with Justice Andrew Pinson drawing a challenger. The race is non-partisan, and will appear on a ballot for every Georgia voter in the primary.

• Andrew Pinson - Pinson was appointed to the state’s highest court in 2022 by Governor Brian Kemp. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business and Lumpkin School of Law. He was a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and served as solicitor general of Georgia. He and his wife Sara Beth live north of Tucker in DeKalb County. (Campaign website)
• John Barrow - A graduate of the University of Georgia and Harvard Law School, Barrow is a seventh-generation Georgian. He served as a commissioner on the Athens-Clarke County Commission from 1990 to 2004 and represented Georgia’s 12th District in Congress from 2005 to 2015. Barrow has also served as a pro bono staff attorney at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. John and his wife, Angèle, live in Athens and have 5 children and 6 grandchildren. (Campaign website)

Judge of the Court of Appeals

The Georgia Court of Appeals is made up of 15 judges, and hears cases from across the state. Judge M. Yvette Miller, who became the first Black woman to serve on the court when she was appointed in 1999, is retiring, and two candidates have filed for the election to replace her. This is a non-partisan race that will be on every primary ballot in the state.

• Jeff Davis - Davis began his legal career serving as assistant general counsel with the State Bar of Georgia. His career has also included time as the director of the Judicial Qualifications Commission, executive director of the State Bar of Georgia, and in private practice. Davis lives in Fulton County with his wife Mary Beth, and they each have three sons. (Campaign website)
• Tabitha Ponder - A native of Moultrie, Ponder began her legal career as an insurance defense attorney in Valdosta, and also served as an indigent defense attorney for the Tift Judicial Circuit. She later opened her own legal practice. Ponder currently serves as a part-time magistrate judge for Cobb County, and has a mediation practice. Ponder lives in Austell. (Campaign website)

Georgia’s 1st Congressional District

One of Georgia’s 14 congressional districts, this district spans the entire coastline of Georgia, from the border with Florida, up to Savannah. In our area, it includes Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn, Pierce, and Ware counties. While this race will appear on the primary ballots, neither party’s candidate faces primary opposition. Additionally, Joyce Marie Griggs will appear on the November general election ballot as an independent.

• Earl “Buddy” Carter - A pharmacist who has held this seat in Congress since 2015. Prior to election to this seat, Carter was mayor of Pooler, Georgia, served in the Georgia House and Senate. He lives in the Savannah area with his wife, and has three sons, three daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren. (Campaign website)

• Patti Hewitt - A business consultant who has served as an advisor to companies including American Express, Walt Disney Company, and Citibank, while working with entrepreneurs in technology businesses. Hewitt has served in Democratic Party leadership positions at the county and state level, and was also appointed to the Liberty County Board of Tax Assessors. She lives in Richmond Hill with her daughter and four grandchildren. (Campaign website)

Georgia’s 8th Congressional District

Georgia’s 8th District stretches from Valdosta to north of Macon. In southeast Georgia, the district includes Clinch County.

• Austin Scott - Currently serving his seventh term in Congress. Scott owned and operated an insurance brokerage firm for nearly 20 years. He and his wife Vivien live in Tifton and have three children. (Campaign website)

• Darrius Butler - Following the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012, Butler says he joined the NAACP and became an organizer, marking the start of his activism. He has work experience in the banking and finance industry, and co-founded a non-profit to help families find affordable housing. Butler is also the associate minister of a church. (Campaign website)
• Vince Watkins - A retired editor from Tifton. (Campaign website)

Georgia State Senate, District 3

District 3 includes Brantley, Camden, Charlton, and Glynn counties, along with part of Ware County. No Democrat qualified for the seat.

• Mike Hodges - The incumbent Republican is unopposed for re-election. Hodges, who was first elected to the State Senate in 2022, has spent most of his career in the finance and banking industry. Hodges will still appear on the Republican primary ballot in the district.

Georgia State Senate, District 8

District 8 includes Clinch and Pierce counties, and the portion of Ware County not included in District 3. No Democrat qualified for the seat.

• Russ Goodman - The incumbent Republican is unopposed for re-election, though his name will still appear on Republican primary ballots in the district. Goodman, the co-owner of Cogdell Berry Farm, was first elected to the State Senate in 2020.

Georgia State House, District 167

District 167, which includes Glynn County, is currently represented by Republican Buddy DeLoach, who is seeking re-election. While there is only one Democrat and one Republican in the race, they will each appear on their party’s primary ballot.

• Buddy DeLoach - The incumbent, who lives in Shellman Bluff and retired after a career in insurance. He also previously served as mayor of Hinesville, and previously served 10 years in the state House prior to his current stint in the legislature which began in 2021. (Campaign Facebook)

• Rebekah Moore - An Army veteran, Moore lives in Brunswick with her husband and two children. (Campaign website)

Georgia House, District 174

This district includes Brantley, Charlton, and Clinch counties, and part of Ware County. No Democrat qualified to run for this seat.

• John Corbett - The incumbent, a Republican business owner and farmer who lives in Lake Park, drew no Republican or Democratic challengers. His name will appear on the ballot in the district even though he is unopposed.

Georgia House, District 176

Includes part of Ware County. No Democrat qualified to run for this seat.

• James Burchett - The incumbent, a Republican who co-owns a law firm in Waycross, drew no Republican or Democratic challengers. His name will appear on the ballot even though he is unopposed.

Georgia House, District 178

This district includes Pierce County. No Democrat qualified to run for this seat.

• Steven Meeks - The incumbent, a Republican who is a farmer living in Screven, drew no Republican or Democratic challengers. His name will appear on the ballot in the district even though he is unopposed. (Campaign Facebook page)

Georgia House, District 179

This district includes part of Glynn County. No Democrat qualified to run for this seat.

• Rick Townsend - The incumbent, a Republican who is a retired educator/consultant living in St. Simons Island, drew no Republican or Democratic challengers. His name will appear on the ballot in the district even though he is unopposed. (Campaign Facebook page)

Georgia House, District 180

This district includes Camden County and part of Glynn County.

• Glenn Cook - A Navy veteran who was also a commercial airline pilot for Delta Air Lines, and now lives on Jekyll Island. (Campaign website)
• David Rainer - Born in Folkston, now lives in Camden County following a 30-year career with NASA. (Campaign website)
• Steven Sainz - Incumbent Representative, currently Managing Principal of Camden Connection, a community development organization. (Campaign website)

• Defonsio Daniels - A Marine and former federal police officer who lives in Camden County. (Campaign website)

District Attorney, Brunswick Judicial Circuit

The Brunswick Judicial Circuit includes Camden and Glynn Counties. No Democrat qualified for this race.

• Keith Higgins - The incumbent, he previously served as a prosecutor in the district for 26 years. (Campaign website)
• John B. Johnson - A native of Statesboro, Johnson has served as an Assistant District Attorney for 46 years and as Chief Assistant District Attorney for three prior district attorneys. He currently serves as an assistant State Court Solicitor. (Campaign website)

Party Questions

The state Democratic and Republican parties place various questions on the primary ballots. The questions, which are non-binding, are generally related to hot-button issues or questions around future priorities.

In 2024, the Georgia Democrats have placed eight questions on their primary ballot, and Georgia Republicans put eight of their own questions on the Republican ballots. These questions will appear on all of the party’s ballots statewide.

Additionally, county parties may choose to add their own questions onto the ballots. We will list those within each county’s voter’s guide.

MORE: Primary voting guides for Camden, Glynn, Brantley, Charlton, Ware, Clinch and Pierce counties