Wednesday, January 16, 2013
After months of speculation, the State of Georgia has now officially replaced Sen. Balfour with Sen. Jeff Mullis.
Following a GBI investigation into allegations of ethics violations, state Sen. Don Balfour, R-Snellville, is no longer chair of the Senate's Rules Committee. (The committee is a group of senators that decides which bills can be voted on by the Georgia Senate.) The investigation by the GBI was completed in December of 2012. The outcome, however, has not been made public. According to the AJC, "the GBI’s involvement marked the first criminal investigation of a state senator since 2005." Balfour was eventually fined $5,000 for filing inaccurate travel reports to claim expenses by the Senate Ethics Committee, although he maintains that it was a simple mistake, not a breach of ethics. Sen. Jeff Mullis has replaced Balfour as the Senate Rules…
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
In the end, Sen. Don Balfour could not be beat in the July 31 Republican primary election for his state Senate District 9 seat.
Before it was fought, the Republican race for state Senate District 9 was all but decided. Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) outspent his challengers, sent more mailers to residents, and he was the incumbent -- one with the record of being the longest serving Republican in the state Senate. So, despite his troubles with ethics inquiries this past year, Balfour won the Republican July 31 primary with 62.8 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. ---- Do you think Sen. Don Balfour deserves another term? Let us know in the comment section below. --- His challengers came up short: Lilburn's Steve Ramey had 19.6 percent of the vote, and Travis Bowden of Snellville had 17.6 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. Bowden…
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Who will you vote for in the race for District 9? Take our anonymous poll!
Elections are just around the corner! Have you decided who you're voting for? Snellville Patch has interviewed quite a few local candidates, with a focus on those who call Snellville home. Vote anonymously for your favorite in our (completely non-scientific) poll below! There are three candidates running for State Senate District 9: Steve Ramey, Don Balfour and Travis Bowden. Lilburn's Steve Ramey writes on his website that he is running for office because he is "not pleased with the current leadership in the Senate...the biggest reason I would like to be elected is to help break up what appears to be the good ‘ol boy cronyism that does not help the average citizen but promotes those that hold office." Balfour has been in office for …
Friday, July 6, 2012
Travis Bowden, a Parkview High graduate and longtime Snellville resident, is campaigning to replace state Sen. Don Balfour.
Travis Bowden wants to send Sen. Don Balfour into retirement, and he's betting that his eagerness for the job helps him do just that. The 30-year-old Snellville business consultant has never been elected to political office before, but he's long been active in the Gwinnett County Republican Party, including serving as chairman of Gwinnett Young Republicans. Balfour, on the other hand, was first elected to the Georgia Senate in 1992. No matter the difference in experience, Bowden believes he is what local citizens need in District 9. Should he be elected, Bowden expects his political know-how and energy to enable a smooth transition. “I feel like I understand the issues facing the district,” he said, “and I feel like I can go in and be …
Brenda Lee
12:27 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
IMHO, Balfour is and should be held responsible for his actions. That said, the Senate has failed miserably by allowing any one person to remain in the same position too long. GRRR!!! There are actually elected officials, commonly referred to as genuine "Statesmen", who self-impose term limits by choosing to step down after several years in the same position. more ›