The Georgia House passed SB 28 111 to 62, which means the 2014 Macon-Bibb consolidated government elections will be nonpartisan. There will be ten elected positions to filled, consisting of one mayor and 9 commissioners.

Four candidates for the consolidated government are already in the mix, Rabbi Larry Schlesinger, Irving Martinez, and Ed Defore.

The most recent is Elaine Lucas, who was clear on her stance against consolidation and against nonpartisan elections.

After the vote WGXA asked her thoughts on the change. “That it was a bait and switch kind of thing." Lucas said when voters passed consolidation, the bill was supposed to have party lines. "I knew deep down inside that there were going to be some dirty tricks pulled, and I feel like this is a dirty trick," she adds.

Rabbi Larry Schlesinger, also announced his candidacy for commissioner. "This is a challenging time for Macon and Bibb County," he says. His thoughts on nonpartisan elections won't play a role in his platform for the 2013 election cycle. "I will be a Democrat, whether we have partisan elections or not. I will act that way, vote that way. That's just who I am."


Lucas and Schlesinger both currently serve on city council, side by side with Ed Defore who confirmed his intent to run, non-partisan election or not. "I have a reputation to call Ed Defore he will try to help you and that's my policy whether you are republican, democrat, or libertarian or independent," he says.

All three explain why they think they're the right fit for the job.

"Frankly I have demonstrated on council what I feel to be effective progressive leadership, the type of leadership when need going forward," says Schlesinger.

"I live for serving the people the heavenly father and my family," says Defore.


"I am going to work as hard as I can to make sure that the promises that have been made to them as far as keeping the taxes down and as far as having adequate representation for them, that those promises are kept," says Lucas.

The Bibb County Board of elections says they have to create a calendar reflecting the new bill concerning nonpartisan elections locally. The change will affect the entire election year including qualifying early elections and the actual Election Day.