Qualifying for the mayor of Dawsonville position closed yesterday afternoon, and James Grogan and Mike Eason are the only two qualified candidates who will be running for the seat in a March special election, according to Dawson County Board of Elections and Registration Chair Glenda Ferguson.

Grogan, 75, is seeking to finish a term that he started on Jan. 1, 2016 that was unceremoniously cut short by a vote of city council last year.

If elected during the March 20 special election, Grogan would be working with two city council members who voted for his removal in May of 2016, Caleb Phillips and Jason Power. One of the council members who voted to remove him, Angie Smith, and another who did not, Mike Sosebee,  were defeated in the November election by newcomers Mark French and Stephen Tolson, who took office Jan. 1.

Grogan said Jan. 2 that if elected, he would be ready to work with the new council and move forward.

“There’s a lot of things I started that I want to continue to work on and some new things I’d like to do,” Grogan said.

Grogan served on the city council from 2010 to 2012, and was appointed acting mayor in April 2012 after the death of Joe Lane Cox. He won the July 31, 2012 special election and was re-elected in 2015 for a four-year term. 

The elected mayor will serve the remainder of Grogan’s unexpired term, until Dec. 31, 2019. 

Recently appointed as acting mayor, Mike Eason will serve until the new mayor is sworn in April 9. That person could be him. 

Eason said Jan. 2 he was undecided on if he would qualify for the mayor seat or not, but submitted his qualification packet to the board of elections on Thursday, Ferguson said.

Eason, 67, was formerly the City of Cumming police chief and Deputy State Inspector General. He worked as a special agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for over 30 years. 

The election will be held March 20 at the Dawson County Board of Elections office,  located at 96 Academy Avenue in Dawsonville. 

Only city residents can vote, and anyone who is not registered to vote must register before close of business Feb. 20. Polls will be open at the board of elections office from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 20.