With 100 percent of the precincts now counted in Liberty and Long County several races that were previously too close to call are now decided, per the results posted on the Georgia Secretary of State website. All results remain unofficial until certified by the Secretary of State.
Liberty County
In the contested race for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, challenger William Bowman received 56.10 percent of the votes over incumbent Sheriff Steve Sikes, meaning the County will swear in a new Sheriff in January.
In the contested race for Liberty County Board of Education District 2 position, former Board member Marcus Scott IV received 54.01 percent of the votes over challenger Dr. Joe Kelly.
For the Liberty County Board of Commissioners’ District 6 seat, incumbent Eddie Walden received 62.07 percent of the votes over challenger Minnie Stafford.
For the District 4 county seat Maxie R. Jones IV received 59.15 percent of the votes over challenger Timmy Blount.
Current Liberty County Board Chairman Donald Lovette received 72.42 percent of the votes over challenger Graylan Quarterman.
Incumbent Chief Magistrate Melinda Anderson received 70.01 percent of the votes against challenger Dana Ingram.
Incumbent Clerk of Courts Linda Dixon Thompson received 67.35 percent of the votes over challenger Lisa Artis.
Tax Commissioner Virgil Jones, Coroner Reginald Pierce, Solicitor General Mark Hendrix, and State Court Judge Jeffrey Osteen all ran unopposed. Also winning unopposed was Probate Judge Nancy Aspinwall, County Commission District 5 incumbent Gary Gilliard, Board of Education District 1 incumbent Verdell Jones, and Board of Education District 3 incumbent Carol Guyett.
In Liberty County the T-SPLOST referendum appears to have passed with 56.19 percent of the votes in favor of the measure. Same in Long County where T-SPLOST received 62.28 percent votes in favor.
Long County
In Long County the contested race for Probate judge ended with challenger Teresa Odum holding 50.40 percent of the votes over incumbent Bobby Harrison Smith with 49.60 percent.
Sherry McFann Long won unopposed for the Clerk of the Superior Court. Sheriff Craig Nobles ran unopposed and re-elected. Tax Commissioner Becky S. Fowler ran unopposed.
Republican Emmett Patterson Jr. will face Democratic Primary winner Rondy C. Bacon for Coroner in November.
Billy Nelson was unopposed as Solicitor General.
Republican Gerald Blocker will face Democrat David Richardson for the County Commission District 1 seat in November.
County Commission District 2 candidate John Reddish received 75.23 percent of the votes over challenger Wallace Shaw.
Republican Mike Phillips will face Democrat Florence Baggs for the District 3 commission seat.
Long County District 4 commission was led by Jeremy Hall with 59.94 percent of the votes over incumbent Clifton DeLoach.
Incumbent Robert Parker ran unopposed for the District 5 Commission seat. Jeffrey Arnold was re-elected as State Court Judge.
In the races for the Long County School Board, Bryan Wingate led incumbent Julie Norman Dawson with 52.63 percent for the District 5 seat.
Janet Watford currently received 59.16 percent of the votes over incumbent Linda DeLoach for District 4. The District 3 seat is was led by Synita Mathis with 51.92 of the votes, Bruce DeLoach received 53.28 of the votes for District 2 and incumbent Marcus DeLoach received 63.04 percent of the votes for District 1.
At the state level Republican Earl “Buddy” Carter defeated his challengers and will face Democratic Primary winner Joyce Marie Griggs in November’s General election. Midway native Al Williams ran unopposed for the Democratic State House District 168.