An attorney, a pediatric dentist, a teacher, a business owner, a retiree, and an incumbent walk onto a ballot. One of them will eventually become Georgia’s next state school superintendent.

Earlier this month, the March 11 filing deadline passed for candidates to qualify to run for offices in Georgia’s upcoming elections, resulting in a group of six candidates vying for the office of state school superintendent.

Four Democrats and one Republican are competing against Republican incumbent Richard Wood for the position, which has primary elections scheduled for May 24, 2022, and a general election scheduled for November 8, 2022.

Part of the executive branch of Georgia, the state school superintendent is responsible for managing the Georgia Department of Education, which oversees K-12 public education in Georgia. The position is elected to four-year terms by popular vote, with elections being held in the same years as gubernatorial elections.

The following four candidates are running in the Democratic primary for Georgia state school superintendent in May:

Currey Hitchens, an attorney from Decatur, qualified on March 9. Hitchens has worked as a teacher and as an attorney for public interest organizations. Hitchens’s campaign website can be viewed at CurreyHitchens.com.

Jaha Howard, a pediatric dentist from Atlanta, qualified on March 7. Howard is currently serving as a member of the Cobb County School District’s board of education. Howard’s campaign website can be viewed at JahaHoward.com. 

James Morrow Jr., a teacher and coach from Clayton County, qualified on March 7. As of this article’s publication, Morrow did not appear to have a campaign website and did not have one listed in his campaign filing with the Georgia Secretary of State.

Alisha Thomas Searcy, a business owner from Powder Springs, qualified on March 11. Searcy previously served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 2003 to 2015. Searcy’s campaign website can be viewed at SearcyForSuperintendent.com.

The following two candidates are running in the Republican primary for Georgia state school superintendent in May:

John Barge, a retiree from Rome, qualified on March 8. Barge served as the state superintendent from 2011 to 2015, previously working as a teacher and school administrator. Barge’s campaign website can be viewed at JohnBargeGA.com.

Richard Woods, the incumbent superintendent, qualified on March 7. Woods was first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. He previously worked as a teacher and school administrator. Woods’s campaign website can be viewed at WoodsForSuper.com.

The primary elections for both parties are scheduled to be held on May 24, 2022. If needed, primary election runoffs are scheduled to be held on June 21, 2022.

The winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries will face off in the general election, which is scheduled to be held on November 8, 2022. If needed, a general election runoff is scheduled to be held on December 6, 2022.