The five-week race to replace Rep. Barry Fleming, R-Harlem, has attracted five candidates.
A conservative pundit, car-wash owner, software developer, farmer and cosmetologist all entered the Feb. 13 contest by the close of qualifying Wednesday.
Three of the candidates are Republicans, including Evans High grad C.J. Pearson, who is back at his grandparents’ Grovetown home from the University of Alabama to run for the state House seat.
The 21-year-old Trump loyalist is now a spokesman for PragerU and co-chair of the Republican National Committee Youth Advisory Council.
Gary Richardson, the former vice-chairman of the Columbia County Commission who owns the Sparkle Express car wash chain, was the first to announce a campaign for the seat.
Fleming, first elected to the House in 2002, held the seat for nearly two decades, but had to resign after Gov. Brian Kemp on Dec. 27 appointed Fleming to a vacant Columbia County judgeship.
District 125 spans Grovetown, Harlem and unincoprorated areas of Columbia and McDuffie counties.
Richardson, a Republican, has support from county commission Chairman Doug Duncan and commissioner Alison Couch serves as his campaign treasurer.
The other three candidates running for Fleming’s seat are lesser known. They include Grovetown dairy farmer James Steed.
Steed, owner of the Maize at Steed’s Dairy, qualified Monday as a Republican to run for the seat.
Also in the race is Grovetown software developer John Turpish.
Turpish previously ran for District 5 on the Georgia Public Service Commission as a Libertarian.
The Secretary of State’s Office did not publish his party affiliation in the House race, but Turpish confirmed he is a Libertarian.
The last candidate to qualify Wednesday was Kay Turner.
Turner, who lists her occupation as a cosmetologist and cosmetology instructor, is the only candidate to qualify as a Democrat.
Kemp called only one date for the election – Feb. 13 – so all candidates regardless of party will likely face off on the Feb. 13 ballot.
If none receive more than 50% of votes, a runoff will be held March 12.
Tuesday is the last day to register to vote in the special election. Advance in-person voting is scheduled to begin Jan. 22.
Susan McCord is a staff writer with The Augusta Press. Reach her at susan@theaugustapress.com
