Williams qualifies to run for chief magistrate judge; Parra disqualified from HD64 race

By DERRICK MAHONE AND RON DANIEL

With early voting set to begin Monday, two races in Douglas County have seen shake-ups in the candidates that will be on the ballot.

Ryan Williams qualified on Friday as the new Democratic candidate for the Chief Magistrate Judge seat in the November election.

Williams, a former Atlanta prosecutor and current Douglas County lawyer, will run against Susan Camp, a Republican, for the seat she currently holds.

Williams was on the May 24 ballot to run for the nonpartisan Superior Court Judge seat against incumbent Cynthia Adams and another challenger, Corey Martin.

However, after Senior Judge Walter Matthews disqualified Democrat Sylvia Wayfer Baker on Tuesday, the local Democratic Party approached Williams about switching to the magistrate judge seat.

The Board of Elections and Registration held a called meeting Friday morning to remove Baker’s name and move Williams’ name from superior court judge to chief magistrate judge.

After the meeting, Williams filled out the paperwork and paid the qualifying fee at the courthouse.

“Both are very important positions,” Williams said moments after qualifying at the courthouse. “Once I was asked about running for magistrate judge, I weighed the pros and cons. Most cases begin in the magistrate court. Because of that, I decided to run for what is the gatekeeper of the judicial process.”

Camp, who was first elected in 1998, is the lone Republican holding a countywide office and the longest elected official from either party serving.

Williams has been practicing law since 2014 and moved to Douglas County in 2018. He worked previously as a prosecutor in the city of Atlanta before going into private practice.

“I know you have to some times utilize compassion but must understand that you have to be strong and strict when justice is administered,” Williams said. “I’ve worked on both sides of the law. I take a position that we must take care of the victims. I take that very serious. I am raising a family here and I want it to be a safe environment.”

Meanwhile, a Georgia administrative law judge ruled Thursday that Preston Parra, one of three Republicans who initially qualified to run for the open state House District 64 seat, is not eligible to run.

Judge Lisa Boggs issued the ruling after Parra’s candidacy was challenged by Crystal Miller, the spouse of Shane Miller, who is running in the GOP primary for the seat along with Kimberly R. New.

Crystal Miller contended that Parra does not meet the minimum age requirement of 21 to be a state representative.

Parra told the Sentinel in January that he had just turned 20 in December of 2021 and that he believed he would meet the requirements set by state law because he would turn 21 before being sworn in.

However, during hearings on Miller’s challenge, Boggs wrote in her ruling that Parra never produced evidence of his age or date of birth. Instead, he argued that Crystal Miller didn’t have standing to challenge his candidacy and that the administrative law court didn’t have jurisdiction in the case.

Parra lashed out at the judge, RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) and others in a press release issued Friday morning by his campaign titled “Preston Parra Fires Back At Georgia RINOS.”

“Judge Bogg’s decision from the Office of Biased Hearings to strike my name from the ballot degrades the values of the constitutional right that guarantees citizens the opportunity to vote for the candidate they deem fit rather than the one the government considers to be acceptable,” he said. “The blatantly ignorant disregard of the law Judge Boggs exhibited perfectly illustrates how the old Republican guard of Georgia is alive and well. From the beginning of my candidacy as a young, first-generation American who has served his country both militarily and politically, it became visibly evident that I would have a pack of RINOs hot on my trail with the sole purpose of ensuring that the people of my district did not have the option to elect a candidate whose focus was destroying the mighty Atlanta swamp.”

Parra also calls out Gov. Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston in the press release as “culprits in continuing the exploitation of Georgia elections.”

The House District 64 seat is open this year with state Rep. Micah Gravley, whose 67th District covers much of the newly redrawn 64th, deciding to retire after 10 years in Atlanta.

Republicans will now choose between Miller and New and Democrats will pick from Montenia Edwards, Christopher R. Thornton and Mignon Willis, with the winners of the May 24 primaries moving on to face off in the November general election.