No open Primary in HD 14, as write-in files opposite Kim Daniels

Only Democrats will be voting in House District 14’s August Primary, as write-in candidate Briana Hughes qualified for the November election, closing the Primary Election featuring three Democrats.

Hughes was not available for comment as of this posting, when we reached out to ascertain her campaign strategy and reasons for presenting as a write-in candidate.

It remains to be seen how closing the Primary will affect the elections to come.

Rep. Kim Daniels, the incumbent, looks to be elected to her fourth term to the House. She was elected in 2016 and 2018 before losing a 2020 Primary to current Rep. Angie Nixon. She was then elected to HD 14 after redistricting, winning a four-way Primary with 44% of the vote in 2022 and facing no opposition in November.

Daniels, an evangelist, closed May with $9,600 in hard money raised, with another $10,000 in personal loans to her campaign. She raised $2,000 in April and May, with Willard Payne and his company each writing $1,000 checks.

Two opponents await Daniels in August.

Lloyd Caulker, who opened a campaign account in April, still hasn’t reported fundraising. But he has already qualified for the August ballot. He is a native of Sierra Leone who says God compelled him to run against the Democratic minister holding the seat since the redistricting of 2022.

Therese Wakefield-Gamble just entered the race last week, meanwhile, so we will get indications of her financial support in a future report.

Wakefield-Gamble credits a “life-changing experience” with her entrance into the political sphere.

“For 12 years, I was living with an undiagnosed, unruptured brain aneurysm,” she said.

“My physicians didn’t tell me about it and I learned about it in October 2022 and I had to have, last year, three brain surgeries in 120 days and I did not have a stroke or a heart attack. So I am deeply and truly blessed to still be living. And that lets me know that I have, I still have purpose in this world to do.”