Saluting All Perennial Candidates On The Ballot

I imagine every state in our country has someone similar to Jim Boyd.

Shorty Price could be viewed as Boyd’s counterpart in Alabama. Even at the national level we have had the presidential campaigns of Harold Stassen and Pat Paulsen. Multiple times they ran. The same number of times they lost.

Here in Georgia, Boyd was referred to as a “perennial candidate” by some, but I never liked that adjective. Rather, I had respect for the man who wanted to offer something to his state’s fellow citizens.

I’m not sure exactly when Boyd first caught the political bug. A little research shows he ran against Sam Nunn in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate back in 1984 although I know he ran for office as far back as the 1970s.

He ran for the Public Service Commission several times and would also try again for the U.S. Senate as well as a memorable run for Governor in 1994.

Boyd became known for running practically every two years for some statewide office and for his campaign signs, which he would place in practically every town across the state. I remember back in the 1990s (in the pre-Internet era), I would start to look for his signs just to see what office he was seeking during the next election.

As his campaigns were mostly self-financed, Boyd had to take make the most of every dollar. His strategy of putting campaign signs all over the state was effective because it made passing motorists remember his name.

I remember when he was running for the Public Service Commission in 1996, he parked an old pickup truck in downtown Jefferson and probably had 30 signs displayed on it. He left the truck in the middle of town for several days knowing countless people would drive by seeing his green and red signs declare: “I Will Vote No On All Rate Hikes Or Resign — Jim Boyd for PSC.”

It was during his 1994 run for Governor that he perhaps used one of the best campaign slogans ever. His motto was “Jim Boyd as Governor Could Not Be Worse Than Zell Miller.” Absolutely brilliant. He finished second in a four-candidate primary.

The last office Boyd ran for was the U.S Senate in 2004. He was one of eight candidates in the Democratic primary and he stunned people by finishing third. I actually wasn’t surprised because in a field of unknowns and political lightweights, Boyd’s name recognition from years of running for office paid off.

Once again, his signs were a highlight of the campaign as they declared “Bush Must Go—Jim Boyd For U.S. Senate.” I remember his signs would mysteriously disappear that year almost as soon as he put them up.

Bush was still somewhat of a popular President at the time and many people—especially those who couldn’t comprehend someone having a different viewpoint in America—would take the sign or even destroy it on the spot.

Boyd also placed small (very small) newspaper ads across Georgia that year which also seemed to connect with voters as he surprised the political experts with his third-place showing in the U.S. Senate Democratic primary.

Boyd also ran for local office at times including a 1998 run for a seat on the Winder City Council.

Boyd was never elected to an office (that I am aware of), but he was the victor in some statewide Democratic primaries. I know in 2000 he won the Democratic nomination (in a landslide) for a seat on the Public Service Commission with approximately 80 percent of the vote although he lost the general election that November. It’s important to remember that by this time Georgia had turned completely ed politically and it was becoming increasingly difficult for a Democratic to get elected in a statewide campaign.

I finally got a chance to meet him that year and asked him why he continued to run for office.

“I feel I have something to offer the people of Georgia,” Boyd told me. “I want to represent the every- day working man and working woman. I want to be a voice for the people.”

Campaign seasons in Georgia aren’t the same without Jim Boyd, his signs, his slogans and his approach of running as a candidate of the people. Despite his death, I still remember him each time I venture to my polling place.

Monticello native Chris Bridges has contributed to The Monticello News since 1988. You can email comments about this column to pchrisbridges@gmail.com.