In terms of the political color palette, Baldwin County has two distinctly blue districts and three reliably red ones.
Up for grabs this year are the three red ones: Districts 3, 4, and 5. Qualifying wrapped up last Friday, with seven candidates vying for these three seats.
In District 5, one-term incumbent Scott Little, a Republican, will be challenged in the November general election by Democrat and political newcomer Danielle Ramsey. A similar scenario is playing out in District 4, which will pit one-term Republican incumbent Andrew Strickland against Democrat and political newcomer Maurice Liggins in the general election.
If it seems as if Little and Strickland haven’t been county commissioners for very long, it’s because they haven’t. Each was sworn into office in January 2025 after winning two-year terms during the November 2024 general election. Prior to that, the county commission voted to “stagger” its elections, as opposed to having all five districts appearing on the ballot in the same year. This time around, Strickland and Little are hoping to win full four-year terms.
District 3, which also was staggered in 2024, will be the only district with a contested race during the May 19 primary, as voters in District 3 who select a Republican ballot will decide between Justin Jones and Danny Register. Incumbent Sammy Hall previously announced he had decided not to seek another term. District 3 covers most of southwest Baldwin County, except Harrisburg and Hardwick.
Register is retired from the Georgia Department of Corrections, where he worked as a maintenance engineer.
“This is my home.
I’ve lived out this way almost all my life,” said Register, who lives on Mount Pleasant Church Road. “I owe this county something, because it has given a great deal to me.”
Register has been a relatively frequent visitor to county commission meetings, where he occasionally shares his opinions during the public comments portion of the meetings.
“I would like to see us get the overspending under control. Right now, Baldwin County probably has 15 or 16 different projects on the books. Most counties our size don’t have four,” he said. “I don’t think we should be in the real estate business.”
Jones, meanwhile, last week announced his candidacy on Facebook.
“As a lifelong resident with 28 years of small business experience, I care deeply about our community and the people who call it home.
I believe in careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars, responsible growth, and protecting the quality of life that makes Baldwin County such a special place to live,” wrote Jones, who listed his occupation as “jeweler/co-owner J.C. Grant Co.” on the qualifying form. “My commitment is simple: to listen and serve every resident of District 3 with steady leadership and thoughtful decision-making.”
The top vote-getter between Register and Jones in May’s primary will move on to face Democrat Peggy Longino Chester in the general election. Chester is retired from Georgia Power, according to her qualifying form. Attempts to reach Chester were unsuccessful.
In District 4, Liggins is facing an uphill battle.
According to Baldwin County’s most recent active voter list, among the 7,078 voters currently registered in the district, 4,576 are listed as white, 1,970 are listed as Black, and 532 are listed as either “unknown” or “other.” Strickland is white, and Liggins is African-American.
District 4 is the eastern Baldwin County district and covers the large majority of the territory across the Oconee River.
Liggins said that his 20 years of experience in a variety of roles while serving in the United States Army would be a benefit for Baldwin County.
“I’ve always had a servant’s heart, and (county commissioner) is a servant leadership position. I have the luxury of being retired from the United States Military, so I can be a voice for all of the people who can’t attend all of the meetings because they have to work two or three jobs,” said Liggins, a member of the Baldwin High Class of 1998.
Liggins previously began attending county commission meetings after the street he lives on, Sidney Butts Road, was not repaved, despite being on the preapproved TSPOST list. From there, his interest in county government only grew, and Liggins now rarely misses a meeting.
District 5, which is the “northwest Baldwin County” district, has similar demographics.
Out of its 7,166 current voters, 4,564 are listed as white, 1,967 are listed as black, while 635 are listed as either “unknown” or “other.” Little is white, and Ramsey is African-American.
In northwest Baldwin’s District 5, Ramsey is employed as a counselor and therapist at Baldwin State Prison. A native New Yorker, Ramsey in 2016 moved to Baldwin County, where her daughters later graduated from Baldwin High.
“I bought a house here and have really enjoyed living here,” she said. “I would like to see some more good businesses and jobs come here and make sure we have attractive places for young people to work. I adore Georgia College, but why not provide good quality jobs in other (job sectors) also?”
Baldwin County’s voting map has been heavily gerrymandered since the 1980s, which followed a series of lawsuits that occurred following changes to the federal Voting Rights Act. Baldwin County was placed under a court order to carve out two districts that were heavily African-American: Districts 1 and 2.
Although that court order no longer exists, partisan gerrymandering has continued, and every 10 years when the districts are redrawn, steps are taken by both political parties in Baldwin County to ensure that two heavily African-American districts remain. In other words, African-Americans have represented 40 percent of the seats on the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners for almost 40 years.
The most recent Census Bureau estimates placed Baldwin County’s black population at 42.2 percent.
Meanwhile, in terms of Board of Education qualifying, District 1 incumbent Gloria Wicker and District 5 incumbent Wes Cummings were the only two candidates to qualify, meaning that each is assured another four-year term on the School Board, beginning in 2027.