Attorney aims to challenge Ann Hardman for Superior Court clerk

Columbus attorney Mike Garner says he will try to run as an Independent for Muscogee County Superior Court clerk, facing Democratic nominee Ann Hardman in the November General Election.

Garner, well known for his criminal defense work, cited Hardman’s lack of court experience and the voters’ having no choice without a second candidate in the race as his reasons for running.

He said also that he fears Hardman will dismiss experienced workers when she takes office.

“The clerk’s office is the administrator of the court system here,” he said. “The clerk is the one who draws up all the criminal sentences; they keep the real estate records, and everybody who works in the clerk’s office is highly trained. It takes months to train the lowest-level clerks in that office, and they cover many different areas.”

Hardman, who runs a ministry, defeated incumbent Linda Pierce in the Democratic Primary on May 24. She faces no Republican opposition in November.

“I think the voters deserve a choice between somebody who is experienced and who’s not experienced,” Garner said.

Hardman could not immediately be reached for comment.

To get his name on the November ballot, Garner by July 12 will have to get enough signatures of registered voters to qualify.

Nancy Boren, executive director of the county elections board, said Garner will need signatures from 5,226 registered voters to meet the ballot threshold. That number as set by law must equal 5 percent of the county’s registered voters during the last election for the office, which was in 2012.

Typically a candidate sets a target much higher than that, because some names are invalidated. Boren said Garner has a computer disc listing the names of registered voters to verify signatures.

Independent candidates also must qualify to run between 9 a.m. Monday, June 27, and noon Friday, July 1.

The Superior Court clerk’s annual salary is $134,257.

This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 12:29 PM with the headline "Attorney aims to challenge Ann Hardman for Superior Court clerk."