Towns County to be represented at state Democratic convention

 Tammy Bates of Hiawassee will represent Towns County when Democrats from throughout Georgia meet in Savannah this weekend for the party's annual state convention.

Tammy Bates

Bates is vice chair of the Towns County Democratic Committee and the local party's representative to the Democratic Party of Georgia.

Convening on Saturday, Aug. 1, the state convention is where Democrats from all 159 Georgia counties come together to organize, connect, and build the future of Georgia.  Elected officials, candidates, activists, organizers, labor leaders, community advocates, and grassroots Democrats will be in attendance.

Delegates will have the opportunity during the various caucus, council, and committee breakout sessions to hear from the Democratic candidates on the Nov. 3 general election ballot and learn about the diversity that makes Georgia strong.

Georgia Democrats — including in Towns County — are currently engaged in "Ground Game Georgia," a statewide grassroots campaign and voter outreach program organized by the state Democratic party for the 2026 election cycle. It focuses on field operations, expanding voter registration, and mobilizing communities to vote up and down the ballot. 

A three-time published author, Bates is a retired senior merchandising director with extensive leadership experience at a Fortune 500 company where she oversaw strategic merchandising initiatives.

Locally, Bates supports local non-profit organizations and civic-engagement efforts, bringing her professional background in leadership, strategic planning, and organizational management to bear to inform her work as an advocate for issues affecting the residents of Towns County and the state of Georgia.  She is committed to strengthening the Towns County community through public service and citizen involvement.

Democrats Talk to Young Harris Students at Resource Fair

Talking to Young Harris Students About the Towns County Democratic Party

Towns County Democrats tell visitors and students to the Young Harris College's Community Resource Fair about the Democratic Party and its activities in Towns County on Aug. 21.  Students were encouraged to register and vote in the Nov. 4 Public Service Commission election.  Many students expressed interest in the upcoming protest in Young Harris on Sept. 13 at noon, according to Tammy Bates, TCD vice chair, who is pictured talking to a couple who stopped at the booth.  "We hope to have younger faces present at our monthly protests, she said.  This is the third year Towns County Democrats have participated in the Resource Fair. 

Towns County Democrats March in No Kings Demonstration

 

Towns County Democrats marched Saturday, June 14, in Hayesville, NC, at the "No Kings" demonstration to show their support for democracy and the rule of law in the United States.  An estimated 640 Georgia and North Carolina citizens joined the march. No Kings marches around the country are estimated to have attracted over 10 million people protesting the lawless actions of the Trump administration.  Pictured, from left, are Charlotte Sleczkowski, Suzanne Carter, Meredith Legg-Grady and Sven Legg-Grady, Elaine Roberts and Tammy Bates.

Hiawassee’s Powell headed to Democratic National Convention

Hiawassee resident Jim Powell will represent Towns County and the Ninth Congressional District of Georgia at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.

Jim Powell

 Powell was one of four convention delegates elected by Ninth District Democrats when they caucused at Sautee Nacoochee on April 6.  He joins Virginia Webb of Habersham County, Dave Cooper of Rabun County, and Tanjina Islam of Gwinnett County.  The four were selected from 16 candidates.  Each delegate pledges to vote for Joe Biden as the national Democratic Party’s nominee for president.

 Powell has been active in local, state, and national government for several decades.  He previously served on the Towns County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, was a candidate for the Georgia Public Service Commission (the top performing statewide Democratic candidate in the primary, general, and runoff elections), and presently serves as the federal representative to the 16-state Southern States Energy Board (SSEB), appointed by both Presidents Biden and Obama. In this role he serves as the official liaison between the board members and all federal agencies.  

 The SSEB is a non-profit interstate compact created in 1960 whose mission is to enhance economic development and quality of life in the South through innovations in energy and environmental policies, programs, and technologies. 

 He also represents the Biden Administration on the Tennessee Valley Authority Integrated Resource Plan working group as well as on the Carbon Capture and Utilization Permitting Task Force on Federal Lands and the Outer Continental Shelf. 

 Additionally, Powell had a 35-year career with the federal government, retiring in 2007 after serving in the Senior Executive Service at the U.S. Department of Energy.  He began his federal career as an auditor with the Department of the Navy.  Powell served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1972 and is a service-connected disabled Vietnam-era veteran.  

 He is currently a small business owner working as an independent energy efficiency and renewable energy consultant to states, local governments, and industry.

 Powell also was selected as a delegate to the 2020 Democratic convention which ended up being a virtual event because of the covid pandemic.  He was a volunteer member of the Biden-Harris Policy Committee which was part of the presidential transition process.

Powell and his wife Karen have been married 53 years and have two adult sons and three grandchildren. 

Democrats select delegates to National Convention

 Towns County Democrats participated on Saturday, April 6, in selecting delegates to the Democratic National Convention this summer in Chicago.  Democrats from throughout the Ninth Congressional District caucused in Sautee Nacoochee to elect four delegates, including Jim Powell of Hiawassee.  Representing Towns County were, from left, David and Vickie Plunkett of Young Harris, Ninth District Democratic Chair June Krise of White County, Suzanne and Bill Carter of Young Harris, and Laura and Mark Anderson of Hiawassee.

Towns Democrats participate in RevUp Rally

 These Towns County Democrats from Hiawassee and Young Harris participated in the RevUp Rally hosted Saturday in Blue Ridge by Fannin County Democrats. The group heard from eight members of the Georgia state House who represent metro-Atlanta districts as part of an outreach effort by Georgia House Democrats between rural and urban areas of the state. 

Bennett joins county elections board

 John Bennett of Hiawassee is the newest member of the Towns County Board of Elections and Registration. 

He was sworn into office by Judge David Rogers on May 8 after being selected by the Towns County Democratic Executive Committee to fill the vacancy created by the death of longtime Democratic member Loretta Youngblood. Bennett attended his first board meeting on May 10.

Towns County Democratic Chair Charlotte Sleczkowski thanked Bennett for his willingness to serve in this important public position and praised Youngblood for her many years of faithful service. “We were all saddened by Loretta’s passing and miss her greatly, as do her many friends and family. I know John will continue her proud legacy of dedicated service.”

Bennett is a 23-year Georgia resident. Born in New York City, Bennett, 70, graduated summa cum laude from Long Island University in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in math. He worked as a nuclear medicine technologist after graduation and later as a computer programmer for 40 years before retiring in 2019. 

Married to Kathryn “Kate” Bennett since 1987, John has three children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild with another due in September. Before moving to Georgia, he previously lived in North Carolina, Florida, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York.

The county Board of Elections and Registration meets monthly. Other board members are Dr. Janet Oliva, chair, Betsy Young, Jeff Pierrot, and David Plunkett.

Judge David Rogers, right, administers the oath of office to John Bennett, the newest member of the Towns County Board of Elections and Registration.

Plunkett elected to represent Towns on Democratic State Committee

David Plunkett is the new Democratic State Committee representative for Towns County following his election by the Towns County Democratic Committee March 9.  Members of the State Committee adopt Party policy, legislative platforms, amend the charter and bylaws, and nominate and elect state party officers and Congressional District chairs.

“I appreciate the trust shown by my fellow Democrats in electing me to this position and look forward to promoting support for Democratic candidates and Democratic policies which promise a better and more prosperous future for all Georgians,” Plunkett said.

Plunkett, a retired attorney, has been an active member of the Towns County Democratic Committee since moving to Young Harris in 2017.  He also serves as one of two Democratic appointees on the Towns County Board of Registration and Elections.

David Plunkett

Prior to moving home to Georgia, Plunkett was senior staff attorney for the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C., served as legislative director and counsel to a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and was an elections specialist with the Alabama Secretary of State before that.

In Alabama, he was responsible for negotiating legislation to centralize voter registration in that state and worked on passage and implementation of the state’s first major reform of its campaign finance laws in 70 years.

While working for Democratic members of Congress he pursued federal campaign finance reform and helped negotiate authorization of a $1.6 billion science project at Oak Ridge, TN.  He served as associate staff to the House Budget Committee from 1994 to 1996, the period that put the United States on track to budget balance and surpluses during the final four years of the Clinton administration before Republican policies under President George W. Bush sent the country spiraling into ever deepening deficit spending and debt.

“I’ll never forget listening to Republicans ranting about how our budgets would wreck the economy and destroy the country during committee hearings,” Plunkett said, recalling that experience.  “Instead, Democratic policies of responsible spending and equitable taxation generated a period of extraordinary economic growth and job expansion, reduced poverty, led to the creation of whole new industries, and generated hundreds of billions of dollars in surpluses that could be used to pay down the national debt.  It took Bush and a Republican-controlled Congress to sabotage the economy and bring about the financial calamity that our children and grandchildren will now have to pay for.”

At CSPI, Plunkett worked on reforms to the Food and Drug Administration’s food safety laws and regulations and served on the boards of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA, which promoted better funding of FDA’s food and drug inspection programs; the Conference for Food Protection, which writes the model code used by states to guide inspections of restaurants and small food suppliers; and the Equitable Food Initiative, which works to improve relations between farm managers and farm workers.

A Georgia native, Plunkett lives with his wife, Vickie, in the house his parents built in Young Harris.  He is a journalism graduate of the University of Georgia and received his law degree from the Antonin Scalia Law School (formerly the George Mason School of Law).  He volunteers at Hope House of Union County, a charity that helps people facing a financial crisis remain solvent.  He is also the author of two novels and a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network.

The Towns County Democratic Committee is dedicated to supporting local Democratic candidates and the promise of an opportunity-driven society that serves all citizens of Towns County, allowing all of us to enjoy a better, safer, and more secure future.  The Committee meets the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 pm in the Towns County Civic Center to discuss ways to improve life in Towns County, Georgia and the country.  Anyone interested in bringing people together for a better America through respect for truth and the rule of law, pursuit of democratic principles of freedom and self-determination, and recognition of the dignity of all people, regardless of faith, origin, or race are welcome to attend.

2021 Executive Board Elected

Towns County Democrats have elected a new executive board for 2021. They are, pictured from left, Liza Strub of Hiawassee, treasurer; Laura Anderson of Hiawassee, second vice chair; Charlotte Sleczkowski of Hiawassee, chair; and TerryLynne Marshall of Hiawassee, secretary. Not pictured is Albert Jones of Young Harris, first vice chair. Also pictured at right is Loretta Youngblood of Hiawassee who was re-elected to another term on the Towns County Board of Elections and Voter Registration.

Towns County resident representing 9th District at Democratic National Convention

    Hiawassee resident Jim Powell is one of four elected delegates representing the Ninth Congressional District this week at the all-virtual Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee where former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California will be formally nominated Thursday as the party’s presidential/vice presidential ticket for the Nov. 3 general election.  Powell is participating as a Biden delegate.

 

Jim Powell

  Powell and three others were elected by Ninth District Democrats in May through an online voting process Powell has been active in Georgia Democratic activities for many years.  He was the statewide Democratic candidate for the Georgia Public Service Commission in 2008, when he was the top performing statewide Democratic candidate in the primary, general, and runoff elections.  He works at the grassroots level in support of Georgia Democrats in a variety of statewide, regional, and local elections.  He previously served on the Towns County Board of Elections and Registration.

    Georgia is allocated 129 convention delegates, nine of whom are alternates. Powell is one of 68 district-level delegates and the only delegate from Towns County. The other Ninth District delegates are Virginia Webb of Clarksville, Wilson Golden of Gainesville and Terry Franzen of Jasper.

    Powell retired from the federal government in 2007 after a 35-year career.  He was a member of the Senior Executive Service with the U.S. Department of Energy where he served as the national program manager in the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Office, managing a number of initiatives and a budget of more than $300 million.  He served honorably in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1972.

    In 2013, President Barak Obama appointed Powell to serve as the federal representative to the Southern States Energy Board (SSEB).  In this role, he served as the official liaison between the SSEB members and all federal agencies. SSEB is a non-profit interstate compact created in 1960 with a mission to enhance economic development and the quality of life in the South through innovations in energy and environmental policies, programs, and technologies. Sixteen Southern states and two U.S. territories comprise the membership of SSEB, and each jurisdiction is represented by the governor and a legislator from the U.S. House and Senate

    A small business owner, Powell currently works as an independent energy efficiency and renewable energy consultant to states, local governments, and industry.  He and his wife, Karen, have been married for 49 years and have lived in Hiawassee since 2006.

Towns County Residents Help Launch North Georgia Young Democrats Chapter

Four Towns County residents were among those present Saturday, April 6, 2019, for the kickoff of the Northeast Georgia Young Democrats chapter. Bob and Charlotte Sleczkowski and Meredith and Sven Legg-Grady, all of Hiawassee, attended the picnic at Tallulah Gorge State Park along with some 30 other young adults and alumni from Towns, Rabun, Habersham, Hall, and Stephens counties, as well as Democrats from North Carolina.

Rachel Paule, president of the Young Democrats of Georgia, and  Justin Holsomback, secretary of the Democratic Party of Georgia, made brief presentations.  Also on hand was Josh McCall, Ninth District Democratic Party chairman. Chapter leaders are Trenton Hobby  of Stephens County, chair; Malina Rawlins of Rabun County, vice chair, promotions; Kelsey Dillard of Habersham County, vice chair, membership; Alex Rawlins of Rabun County, secretary; and Maddie Ballentine of Rabun County, treasurer.

Towns County Chair Charlotte Sleczkowski invited all Towns County Democrats to participate in the chapter’s next monthly meeting on Thursday, May 9, 2019, which will be a joint event with Union County Democrats.  Sarah Riggs Amico, the 2018 Democratic nominee for Georgia lieutenant governor, will speak.  A pot-luck meal will begin at 6:00 followed by the meeting at 6:30 at the Unity Church of Blairsville, 298 School Circle.

Towns County Democrats are presently taking donations for the chapter’s scholarship fund which will benefit a Towns County student attending college locally.