Wade Padgett for chief magistrate
Wade Padgett
Special
In the race to succeed retiring Columbia County Chief Magistrate David Huguenin, Columbia County is fortunate that three capable candidates have stepped forward.
Of those candidates, the one best suited to step into the magistrate's robes is the man already wearing them: J. Wade Padgett.
Since being named an associate magistrate 10 years ago, Padgett has been learning and excelling in the job he's asking the voters to give him. He'll hit the ground running on day one.
Are there changes needed in the office? Absolutely. First and foremost, an imbalanced budget needs to be brought under control.
It's our view that Padgett has the experience to best handle those changes, and his long years of service to the community -- including extensive volunteerism to area youth and his time with Leadership Augusta -- prove that he can be trusted to carry out those upgrades in the best interest of Columbia County's citizens.
"Wade represents all that is right about Columbia County," says Bobby Christine, Columbia County's assistant district attorney and a future associate magistrate if Padgett is elected. "He has the courage, integrity and qualifications to make the tough decisions and is clearly the best choice for chief magistrate judge."
We agree, and urge voters to support J. Wade Padgett Tuesday.