Five Qualify for Hart County Probate Judge Race

Qualifying has ended in Hart County in the race for Hart County Probate Judge.

Qualifying ran from Monday through noon Wednesday.

A total of five candidates have come forward to vy for the seat left vacant when former Probate Judge Bob Smith resigned last month.

Those candidates include, Merry P. Kirk, Thadeus “Keith” Cheek, Priscilla Kay Ankerich, Todd C. Townsend, and John Scott.

Kirk currently serves as the Interim Probate Judge.

Most Probate Court judges in Georgia are elected to four-year terms in countywide, partisan elections.  However, Hart County’s Probate Court election is non-partisan.

In order to be county Probate Judge, a candidate must be at least 25 years of age, a high school graduate, a U.S. citizen, and a county resident for at least two years preceding the election.

In counties with a population over 96,000, a candidate for probate judge must have practiced law for seven years and be at least 30 years of age.”

But in smaller counties, such as Hart County, that is not a requirement.

Hart County’s Board of Commissioners has set November 4th for the Special Election in conjunction with the Georgia General Election.