2 Democrats Qualify for 10th District Primary

Andrew Ferguson and Tabitha Johnson-Green will face off in the Democratic Primary on May 19 for the 10th congressional district. The winner will meet Republican incumbent Jody Hice in the general election in November.

Qualifying was held March 2-6 with Ferguson and Johnson-Green the lone Democrats officially signing up. Ferguson, an Athens resident, has a diverse resume which includes stints as a golf professional, a human resources specialist as well as a screenwriter.

The 10th District includes Jasper County.

Johnson-Green, a registered nurse as well as a business owner, was the 2018 Democratic nominee and is seeking a rematch with Hice, a pastor who resides in Walton County.

Clyde Elrod, an electrician and subcontractor, and Alvin Spitzner, an IT professional, both were campaigning for the Democratic Party nomination but neither qualified last week. Both said the qualifying cost proved too high although both said they would like to try again in 2022.

Ferguson’s journey into politics began in recent years when he supported Chalis Montgomery’s bid for the 10th District seat held by Jody Hice. He was also active in Stacey Abrams’ bid for governor in 2018 and had supported Elizabeth Warren in her quest for president. Warren dropped out of the race for the White House last week.

Ferguson, meanwhile, said he has received a strong reception from voters and citizens in the 10th District. He has been several of the 25 counties in the 10th District and is looking forward to visiting other counties as well.

“There has been good support at the events as well as good financial support,” Ferguson said. “We will continue to draw the contrast between my campaign and Jody Hice.”

Johnson-Greene won a three-candidate primary in 2018.

The winner of the Democratic primary this year will be a big underdog in the November general election against Hice.

Since winning a competitive primary in 2014, including a runoff victory against Jackson’s Mike Collins, Hice has really not been challenged for the 10th Congressional seat. After a tough primary that year, he won the general election by a 33 percent margin.

Hice had two GOP primary challengers in 2018 but easily won that contest with 79 percent of the vote. The general election last year saw Hice win by a 63-37 percent margin. Hice is currently unchallenged in the Republican primary in 2020.

The district covers a large geographic area.