COMING INTO THE FINAL STRETCH of what has been a loud and contentious election season, many candidates are looking to the finish line with relief.

With what seems like more hotly contested races than ever before, more of them are also turning nasty this time around, and in some cases just downright mean.

Feelings are running high, especially in the local school board races and contests for seats in the state House and Senate.

The term “Chicago-style politics” keeps cropping up everywhere, from those filing ethics complaints to those upset about robo calls.

Meanwhile, voters are turning out in droves, with about 7,800 already casting ballots in early voting, and another 2,400 requesting absentee ballots, according to Janet Munda, elections supervisor for Cherokee County.

Many of those watching the races closely say those heading out for early voting are made up of lots of local teachers and administrators unhappy over the redistricting of school board posts during reapportionment as well as the charter versus public school debate.

Perhaps no race is heating up more than the match between Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) and his challenger, Brandon Beach, from Alpharetta.

The school crowd wants Rogers out of office. They have made that clear.

Rogers, however, remains the tea party favorite and is out knocking on doors and visiting with his constituents in hopes of retaining his seat.

A flurry of ethics complaints against each candidate landed with the state ethics folks this week, and signs are popping up everywhere for both candidates.

The race could come down to the wire next Tuesday evening.

***THE COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 2 SEAT has also seen some negative campaigning, with a flier blasting incumbent Jim Hubbard and touting challenger Channing Ruskell from the Citizen’s Review and Recommendations Committee landing on mailboxes last week, making many residents fighting mad.

Several complaints were received at the post office, where officials said they sent Ruskell a certified letter about the incident, which they said was in violation of postal regulations.

Canton Tea Party leader Carolyn Cosby is chairman of the group. and said that she did not realize there would be a problem in putting out the fliers.

The third man in the race, former Cherokee Fire Chief Raymond Gunnin, is the wild card in the three-man race, which could go into a runoff after results are in from Tuesday’s Republican primary.

Ruskell, who was ousted from his position as Cherokee County Solicitor General by David Cannon, has since tried to get his old position back but lost again to Cannon.

Now it is time to see if voters want him on board as commissioner.

***BOTH CANDIDATES for the first elected countywide school board chair position packed in their supporters at Monday night’s debate hosted by the Republican Party.

The standing room only crowd was filled with those wearing T-shirts for both Danny Dukes and Janet Read. The race between the two has remained mostly civil. Read drew the opportunity to get the last word in with her closing comments, leaving Dukes frustrated and wanting to rebut, but moderator Pete Castello kept to the debate format and didn’t allow a rebuttal.

***THE REPUBLICAN DEBATES offered several candidates chances to blast their opponents for allegedly voting as Democrats. Candidate for Congressional District 11, Michael Opitz, pointed to fellow challenger William Llop, a CPA, as having voted as on the Democratic ballot in the past. The two are going up against five-term U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta.)

Gingrey was feted at a meet-andgreet by leading county Republicans over the weekend.

And Cannon, who is now running for Blue Ridge Superior Court Judge against Mark Shriver, during their debate accused his opponent of being a former Obama supporter.

***CANDIDATES have one weekend left to convince voters they are the right choice.

Then hopefully life can return to normal, with dinner hours no longer being interrupted by robo calls, and those plethoric campaign signs disappearing from the landscape, except for those who end up in runoffs.

“Around Cherokee” is compiled by Rebecca Johnston and the editorial staff of the Cherokee Tribune.