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On June 16, Screws defeated Howard, as he received 69.10% of the votes (550 total votes), while Howard only took home 30.90% of the votes (246 total votes). Screws released an official comment on the victory, saying, “Thank you, Wheeler County! I am humbled by your trust in me to represent you on the Board of Education. While my term doesn’t start until January 1, 2027, I look forward to learning as much as I can in preparation for the role. Again, thank you for all the support you have shown!”
Screws will officially begin to serve on the Board on January 1, 2027; his term will end on December 31, 2031.
Toombs County
Meanwhile, in Toombs County, David Beasley will not only begin a new four year term on the Board of Commissioners on January 1, 2028, but has already hit the ground running, as he was also elected to fulfill the unexpired term of Commission Chairman Tommy Rollins, who resigned from representing District 4 to take over the Chairman role upon the resignation of former Chairman David Sikes, who is currently running for the State Senate seat for the local district.
In the special election to determine who would complete Rollins’s unexpired term, Beasley received 476 votes (57.42%) while his opponent Chris Reaves took home 353 votes (42.58%). In the race for the next full term to represent District 4 on the Toombs County Board of Commissioners, Beasley took home 462 votes (58.56%) while Reaves took home 327 votes (41.44%).
“I am so proud to be a servant of Toombs County,” Beasley remarked. “I look forward to working with the great citizens and the leaders of our great county to move forward and build an even greater county for our children and grandchildren. Once again, thank you to all who have put their trust in me and to those who didn’t vote for me, I pray I can win your trust over the days to come.”
Other Races
The matchups for the General Election in November for several state and federal races were also determined during the General Primary Run-off Election on Tuesday, June 16.
Governor
Rick Jackson defeated Burt Jones in the runoff, as Jackson received a total of 373,406 votes (52.65%) while Jones took home 335,847 votes (47.35%). Yet, locally, Jones carried the tight race in several counties, as the results in each county were: Montgomery County: Jones – 477 votes (54.14%); Jackson – 404 votes (45.86%) Toombs County: Jones – 1,140 votes (52.01%); Jackson 1,052 votes (47.99%) Treutlen County: Jones – 340 votes (55.65%); Jackson – 271 votes (44.35%) Wheeler County: Jones – 277 votes (49.38%); Jackson – 284 votes (50.62%) Jackson will now face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms to determine who will succeed two-term Governor Brian Kemp. Lieutenant Governor
Republican Greg Dolezal will face Democrat Josh McLaurin in November, as both Dolezal and McLaurin defeated their opponents in the run-off election.
Dolezal took home 374,852 votes (54.20%) while his opponent John F. Kennedy received 316,772 votes (45.80%). Local counties had similar results, as Dolezal defeated his opponent in Montgomery and Toombs Counties, but lost in Treutlen and Wheeler Counties. In Treutlen County, Kennedy received 321 votes (53.15%) while Dolezal received 283 votes (46.85%). Similarly, in Wheeler County, Kennedy took home 277 votes (51.68%) while Dolezal took home 259 votes (48.32%).
McLaurin defeated his opponent Nabilah Parkes, as McLaurin received 210,660 votes (54.88%) and Parkes received 175,185 votes (45.12%). McLaurin carried Montgomery, Toombs, and Treutlen Counties; however, in Wheeler County, Parkes defeated McLaurin, as Parkes took home 96 votes (53.04%) while McLaurin took home 85 votes (46.96%).
Secretary of State
Both the Republican and Democrat candidates for the Secretary of State race were determined by the run-off election, as Republicans Tim Fleming and Vernon Jones faced off, and Democrats Dana Barrett and Penny Brown Reynolds went head-tohead.
Fleming defeated Jones statewide and in Montgomery, Toombs, Treutlen, and Wheeler Counties. Overall, Fleming garnered 430,283 votes (64.50%) while Jones took home 236,807 votes (35.50%).
He will now face Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds in the General Election, as Reynolds took home 242,205 total votes (63.10%) while Barrett received 141,625 votes (36.90%). Reynolds also won by similar margins throughout Montgomery, Toombs, Treutlen, and Wheeler Counties. State School Superintendent Incumbent State School Superintendent Richard Woods will face continued from page
Democrat Lydia Powell in November, as Woods defeated Fred “Bubba” Longgrear in the run-off election.
Statewide, Woods took home a total of 344,828 votes (51.49%) while Longgrear received 324,886 votes (48.51%). However, locally, Longgrear defeated Woods in three of the four local counties, as the results in each county were as follows: Montgomery County: Longgrear – 544 votes (63.70%); Woods – 310 votes (36.30%) Toombs County: Longgrear – 1,427 votes (67.18%); Woods – 697 votes (32.82%) Treutlen County: Longgrear –338 votes (56.81%); Woods – 257 votes (43.19%) Wheeler County: Longgrear – 241 votes (46.44%); Woods – 278 votes (53.56%) Commissioner of Insurance Democrat Keisha Sean Waites will take on Incumbent Insurance Commissioner John King in the General Election in November, as Waites defeated her opponent DeAndre Mathis in the recent runoff election.
Waites not only won statewide, but also in Montgomery, Toombs, Treutlen, and Wheeler Counties. Overall, Waites received 223,909 votes (58.70%) while Mathis took home 157,519 votes (41.30%). Commissioner of Labor
Democrat Nikki Porcher defeated her opponent Michelle Michi Sanchez in the run-off election and will now face Incumbent Labor Commissioner Barbara Rivera Holmes for the position.
Porcher defeated her opponent both statewide and in the local counties, as she took home 232,297 total votes (61.74%) while Sanchez received 143,978 total votes (38.26%).
PSC District 5
The race to represent District 5 on the Public Service Commission will come down to Republican Josh Tolbert and Democrat Sheila Edwards, as Tolbert defeated Bobby Mehan in the run-off election.
Tolbert not only defeated Mehan in local counties, but across the state, as he received 371,409 total votes (59.76%) while Mehan took home 250,121 total votes (40.24%).
Tolbert will face off with Edwards during the General Election in November.
Federal
Two federal elections were on the ballot, as Republicans selected their candidate to face current U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff to determine who will represent the state during the next term, and Democrats chose which candidate will go head-to-head with current U.S. Representative Rick Allen (R-12) for a chance to represent the district for the next term.
U.S. Senate
Republican Mike Collins defeated Derek Dooley in the run-off election and will now face Senator Ossoff in November. Statewide, Collins received 389,996 votes (55.54%) while Dooley took home 312,213 votes (44.46%). Locally, Collins defeated Dooley by a large margin, receiving at least 60% of votes cast for the race in Montgomery, Toombs, Treutlen, and Wheeler Counties.
U.S. House of Representatives – District 12 Democrat Ceretta Smith will take on Representative Allen in the upcoming election, as Smith defeated Traci “Acree” George in the run-off election. Statewide, Smith received 16,815 votes (55.79%), while George took home 13,324 votes (44.21%). However, in local counties, it was George who carried the election, as the results were: Montgomery County: George – 54 votes (54.00%); Smith – 46 votes (46.00%) Toombs County: George – 164 votes (54.30%); Smith – 138 votes (45.70%) Treutlen County: George – 45 votes (51.72%); Smith – 42 votes (48.28%) Wheeler County: George – 93 votes (52.25%); Smith – 85 votes (47.75%) Election Date
The General Election is slated for Tuesday, November 3. More information about polling locations, local candidates, and important dates will be shared in coming months.
