Only one candidate has filed any campaign or personal financial report in the House District 129 special primary. Another has been fined for a late report, while the other two haven’t registered with the state ethics commission at all.
Early voting is ongoing at Augusta Municipal Building in the Dec. 20 special Democratic primary. The election is being held to replace Rep. Wayne Howard, who died in office Oct. 13.
Candidates seeking Howard’s seat are his brother Rev. Karlton Howard, college student Davis Green, security contractor Brad Owens and project manager Scott Cambers.
State election laws require candidates to file personal financial disclosure reports within 15 days of qualifying to run. The forms identify the candidate’s employer, businesses, paid speaking engagements, real estate and signifiant financial investments.
As of Thursday, only Cambers had filed a personal financial disclosure report. His had been on file since March when he initiated an independent campaign that he later discontinued.
The filing lists Cambers’ house, his and his wife’s jobs and his ownership of some Apple and Salesforce stock.
MORE: In final meeting, Commission authorizes more Rescue Plan spending
Cambers also filed required campaign contribution disclosure reports for the discontinued run in May, June and October, but was fined $125 in October for missing a Sept. 30 deadline. Cambers is the only candidate with anything on file with the Georgia Campaign Finance Commission.
The candidates are required to file a campaign contribution disclosure report 15 days before the Dec. 20 election, but have a five-day grace period. None had filed the report Thursday.
Howard’s name is in the state system, but he was fined $125 Thursday for not filing a personal financial disclosure report. He appears to have an active campaign committee, which paid for a recent video, and is engaging in fundraising.
Owens and Green, meanwhile, have filed nothing. Their names don’t appear in a search of the reporting website.
At least 1,564 had voted early or by mail as of Thursday, but advance voting has slowed to trickle since the crush of voting in the U.S. Senate runoff ended. Advance voting is only being held at the Linda Beazley Room at the municipal building, where only four voted Thursday, said Travis Doss, Richmond County elections director.
The satellite location at Henry Brigham Center had to close while the building is renovated, while Augusta’s two other satellite voting centers, at Diamond Lakes Regional Park and Warren Road Recreation Center, aren’t located in District 129, Doss said.
Susan McCord is a staff writer with The Augusta Press. Reach her at susan@theaugustapress.com
