State Senate candidates talk platforms during forum in Richmond Hill

For the first time since being appointed to the state senate in 2014, Ben Watson has a challenger in the republican primary. Education activist Beth Majeroni announced she would enter the state senate race in December 2023.

The District 1 seat covers Bryan County, as well as portions of Chatham and Liberty counties.

The two entertained questions during a forum Thursday night in Richmond Hill, which was hosted by the Bryan County Republican Party.

Watson has served as a primary care physician in Savannah for more than 30 years. During the most recent legislative session, Watson was a proponent of bills that banned puberty blockers to treat body dysmorphia in transgender youth and co-sponsored a bill to prohibit public money to be used for membership in the American Library Association.

Majeroni is a retired schoolteacher and education chairman of Ladies on the Right, a Republican women's organization in The Landings gated community on Skidaway Island. As part of the school board action team, Majeroni has been a frequent public speaker at Savannah-Chatham school board meetings, speaking against masks in schools and for removing "obscene" books from school libraries.

The two candidates sought to distinguish their platforms during the question-and-answer session:

Paper ballots

“I’m in support of unplugging the voting machines,” said Majeroni. “As far as I know, no one has the ability to read a QR code. You, as the voter, should be able to read everything on the ballot.”“We have done away with the QR code,” said Watson. “It will be counted and recounted. Having hand marked, I can tell you I do not trust hand marking in Fulton County. I am against hand marking because there is so much to interpret.”

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Private water utilities

“Decisions about water allocation should be made at the local level,” said Majeroni. “In order to ensure Georgia’s long-term water security, local governments are best suited for this role.”

“We are going to have a huge influx of employees and there needs to be homes built in that area,” said Watson. “The bill that was signed encouraged conversation and discussion on water development. You need water for the area. You don’t want individual wells at each person’s house.”

After the forum, Watson added, “I’m on a private water system on Isle of Hope and my opponent is on one at The Landings. There are private water systems throughout the whole state of Georgia and in every county. EPD is actually the one that does the permits and then the county signs off on it.”

School vouchers

“I am in support of school choice overall as a concept,” said Majeroni. “Just the parents with money get to make that choice [now]. I believe the new bill is a step in the right direction. It’s a good start.”

“It won’t affect Bryan County because there are no failing schools in Bryan County,” said Watson. “Chatham County may have over a dozen failing schools. Parents know what’s best for their children. You have to do what’s right for the children and the state of Georgia.”

Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Local forum showcases state senate candidates