Crowd of 200 delights the party chairman

Voters, politicians, candidates in this month’s primary, and their supporters adorned the pavilion at Oconee’s South Cove Park in patriotic color today for a run-up to the Republicans’ primary now ten days away.  Chairman Jim Mann of Oconee Republicans called it a crowd of 200.  They enjoyed barbecue, and got to hear several of the men and women competing for public office.  At the end, it prompted Pat Murray of the Oconee Republican Women’s Club to comment that her party is offering good candidates, but not all of whom can be elected because in several of the races there are two or more Republicans running. Not all the candidates invited attended.  The only races that brought out all of their candidates were 10th Circuit Solicitor and Oconee County Treasurer.  Of the eight Republicans running to be the nominee for the U-S House, five took part and spoke. The audience was able to see or hear from only one of the two candidates running in the following contested races:  State House District Two, County Council District Two, County Council Four, and County Council Five.  According to Mann, in each instance of a no-show that particular candidate had informed event organizers that he could not make it.