WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — A former Warner Robins council member who spent a year in federal prison wants to get back on the city council.
In 2012, a federal jury convicted John Williams of extortion and other federal charges.
He was found guilty of using his position as a council member to take a cut from the city's purchase of a pickup truck.
On Friday, Williams qualified for the Post 6 race. Also in the race are Miranda Britt, Jonathan Nichols and incumbent Larry Curtis.
Attorney for the city, Jim Elliott, said election superintendent Michelle Riley will hold a hearing next Wednesday to decide whether Williams' name will go on the November ballot.
According to Elliott, state law bars people convicted of felonies involving moral turpitude from serving in office, but doesn't say they can't run.
When reached by phone, John Williams told Zach Merchant that he checked with the state attorney general, the secretary of state and the FBI and they all said he could run.
He said that if he's kept off the ballot, he'll challenge that.
In other Warner Robins races, four people are running for the Post 2 at large seat, currently held by Carolyn Robbins.
Robbins, who has suffered health problems in the past year, did not qualify to run for another term.
Stephen Baughier, Charles “Charlie” Bibb, Zachary Adam Collins and Eric Langston all qualified to run.
Elliott says Riley will also hold a hearing Wednesday on whether Collins has lived in the city for a year, as required.
He says Collins was registered to vote at an address *outside* city limits until Monday. He changed his registration to an address inside the city on Monday and then qualified Tuesday
For the Post 4 seat, Kevin Lashley qualified to challenge incumbent Tim Thomas.
Candidates in dozens of other Central Georgia cities qualified this week for November elections. Among the others:
In PERRY, there's a four-way race for the District 2, Post 2 council seat.
John James, Jimmy McLeod, Gary Moulliet and Joy Peterson qualified for the seat currently held by William Jackson.
In District 3, Post 1, Darryl Albritton qualified for the District 3, Post 1 vacancy. Randall Walker resigned for run for mayor.
Willie King, in District 1, Post 2, and Riley Hunt, in District 3, Post 2, both qualified for new terms without opposition.
Those races will be decided in November. The city of Perry will also hold a Sept. 17 special election to pick a new mayor. Randall Walker and Robbin Jackson are running.
There are two council races in CENTERVILLE:
For City Council Post 3, Susan Lemme is challenging incumbent J. Michael Evans.
And in City Council Post 4, Phillip Collins qualified to challenge incumbent Edward Armijo.
FORSYTH also has two races.
Post 1 council member John T. Howard is being challenged by Walter Goodson.
Post 3 council member Melvin Lawrence is being challenged by Rosemary Walker.
Mayor Eric Wilson will run again unopposed.
BYRON has just one race on its city ballot.
Terrence Fannin qualified to challenge Rusty Adams for City Council Post 2.
Mayor Michael Chidester and Post 1 council member James Richardson qualified to run without opposition.
FORT VALLEY has three races.
Henry Howard and Anthony McHenry are challenging incumbent Jimmy Barnes for City Council-West Ward.
Sandra Marshall and Nedrick Nichols are challenging incumbent Alonzo Allen for City Council East Ward.
And Rose Thompson is running against incumbent Dollie Horton for an at-large seat on the city utilities commission.
JEFFERSONVILLE has 12 people running for seven city council seats.
In District 1, incumbents Annie Williams, Virginia Hollings, Daniel Young and Frances Steele and challengers Monte Bloodworth and Nikki Stevens are running for four seats.
In District 2, incumbents Jim Kellom, Mack Bryant, Victor Jordan and challengers Laura Gallemore, Kenton Jones and Christopher Pritchett qualified to run for three seats.
No one qualified to challenge Mayor Charles Williams III.
In EASTMAN, three council incumbents qualified without opposition: Buddy Pittman, District 2; Raymond F. Mullis, District 3; and Ronnie Woodard, District 4.
In DUBLIN, three people qualified to run for an open city council seat. Christopher Smith, Michael Martin and Jayson Keyton are all candidates for Ward 2.
Jerome Pullman qualified to challenge Bill Brown in Ward 4.
Mayor Phil Best, the city's mayor since 1999, will get another term. Nobody qualified to run against him. Ward 3 council member Paul Briggs is also unopposed.
For the Dublin Board of Education, Michael Lloyd will challenge incumbent Peggy Johnson in District 2 and Regina McRae will run against incumbent James Lanier Jr. in District 4.
Incumbent Michael Travick, District 1 and Bill Perry, District 3, are also running unopposed.
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