The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta businessman Brent Brown appeared to be headed to easy victory Tuesday night in his second straight bid for the Republican nomination for state labor commissioner.

Brown held a sizable lead over Woodstock state Rep. Chuck Scheid, in early returns. The winner faces Democratic incumbent Michael Thurmond in November.

“Things are certainly trending in the right direction,” Brown said of the early returns. “But some of the bigger counties haven’t come in, so we’re still watching.”

Brown ran for labor commissioner in 2002, but narrowly lost the Republican primary to Richard McGee, a former deputy commissioner with the labor department....

Brown, who is in sales for NCO Financial Systems, has said he’ll work to ensure that Georgia has a well-trained work force by forming a strong alliance between the Labor Department and the state Department of Education.