LUDOWICI - The Long County primary election results are in and show that incumbent Sheriff Cecil Nobles appears to have secured himself four more years in office by bringing in 51 percent of the votes cast.
Nobles, who was elected as sheriff in 1968, is the longest-serving sheriff in Georgia and the second-longest in the nation.
This year, Nobles had two candidates, Frank McClelland Jr. and Darrell Ballance, challenge him for his position on the Democratic ticket. McClelland got 30 percent of the votes while Ballance had 19 percent.
No one qualified on the Republican side, so it's likely Nobles' victory assures him re-election.
In the tax commissioner race, Becky Simmons Fowler brought in 53 percent of the votes over Marjorie "Margie" DeLoach, who earned 47 percent.
Fowler is expected to replace her mother, Lillian Simmons, who chose not to run for re-election. This race also was on the Democratic ticket, with no one running as a Republican.
In the county commissioner races, David Richardson of District 1-Beard's Creek won the seat with 67 percent of the vote over Marty Adams, who brought in 33 percent.
On the Democratic side in District 2-Rye Patch/Oak Dale, Wallace Shaw garnered the majority of the votes cast, bringing in 51 percent of votes over Jacob Pitts, who had 49 percent.
On the Republican side, there were three candidates who threw their hats in the ring, and a run-off will be required to see who will move on to the general election.
Tim Works garnered 43 percent of the GOP vote, while Arthur Davis got 40 percent and Leslie Sutton had 17 percent.
In District 3-South Ludowici, Joel Andrew Fuller was unopposed and will fill that seat, while in District 4-North Ludowici, incumbent Cliff DeLoach also was unopposed.
In District 5-Tibet area, Robert Charles Walker brought that seat home with 60 percent of the votes over Amy Davis Nutting, who had 40 pecent. No one qualified as a Republican in this district.
According to Long County Election Superintendent Marie Middleton, the final results will not be official until Friday, when all provisional and absentee have been counted and results certified.

Democratic Unofficial Results

Sheriff Democrat
Cecil Nobles: 1,227, 51 percent
Frank McClelland Jr.: 710, 30 percent
Darrell Balance: 452, 19 percent

Tax commissioner Democrat
Becky Simmons Fowler: 1,257, 53 percent
Margie DeLoach: 1,096 47 percent

District 1 commissioner Democrat
David Richardson: 330, 67 percent
Marty Adams: 163, 33 percent

District 2 Commissioner Democrat
Wallace Shaw: 313, 51 percent
Jacob Pitts: 305, 49 percent

District 2 Commissioner Race
Tim Work: 36, 43 percent
Arthur Davis: 34, 40 percent
Leslie Sutton: 14, 17 percent

District 5 Commissioner Race Democrat
Robert Charles Walker: 300, 60 percent
Amy Davis Nutting: 201, 40 percent