VALDOSTA — The Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Home Builders Association of South Georgia and the Valdosta Board of Realtors, hosted a successful ‘Meet The Candidates’ event Monday at Valdosta State University.

This event provided an invaluable opportunity for the community to engage directly with candidates running for office and learn more about their visions and plans for Lowndes County.

Candidates who participated in the event included:

— Clay Griner.

— Dexter Sharper.

— Michael Smith.

— Ron Bythwood.

— Joyce Evans.

— Kelley Saxon.

— Bill Slaughter.

The event was free and open to the public, allowing attendees to ask questions and get to know the candidates personally.

Jill Maine, executive director of The Home Builders Association of South Georgia, stated, “The Home Builders Association of South Georgia is proud to partner with the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber and Valdosta Board of Realtors to offer the Meet the Candidates event as a service to our community to allow individuals time to have one-on-one time with the candidates and hear from them, which helps inform them in exercising their right to vote!”

Amelia Hidy, president of the Valdosta Board of Realtors, expressed the organization’s enthusiasm for being a part of this community initiative. “The Valdosta Board of Realtors was honored to co-sponsor last night’s ‘Meet the Candidates’ event,” Hidy said. “We recognize the importance of ensuring that your voice is heard, and this event provided a valuable opportunity for direct engagement with the candidates for our county. It was a wonderful evening, and we look forward to hosting similar events in the future. Don’t forget to cast your vote in the upcoming November election!”

Chad Slaughter, president of the Home Builders Association of South Georgia, added, “We are grateful for our community partnerships and being able to collectively host this event for the citizens of Lowndes County.”

The Chamber of Commerce was equally thrilled to collaborate on this initiative. “The Chamber believes that it is important to give citizens the opportunity to meet and ask questions to candidates who are seeking office. We were proud to partner with the Valdosta Board of Realtors and Home Builders Association of South Georgia to make this event possible,” Christie Moore, president of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, shared.

To view a sample ballot and your polling location, visit: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/