Britt Brooks will join the Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners next year.
Brooks, the challenger who owns a construction company in Crawford, defeated incumbent Howard Sanders in the Republican primary for the District 1 seat by just 39 votes.
Brooks had 246 votes to Sanders’ 207 votes.
“I greatly appreciate everybody’s votes,” Brooks said Tuesday night. “A vote for me is a vote for you.”
Of the 12,464 registered voters in the county, 3,650 — or 29.3% — voted in the general primary.
The BOC District 1 race was just one of many at the county, state and federal levels on Tuesday.
Brooks will be joined on the BOC by incumbent Tracy Norman, who was reelected to serve District 5 for another four years.
First elected in 2018, he defeated challenger Randy Gordon with 453 votes to 119.
“I appreciate everybody’s trust, and (I’m) thankful for the way things came out,” Norman said Tuesday night. “(I) also really appreciate Mr. Gordon stepping up. One of the things we see in the county is people like to complain, but they’re not willing to step in the ring and do something about it, and Mr. Gordon is, and I really admire that in him.”
David Clark was unopposed in the Republican primary for the county commissioner seat for District 3.
Norman, Brooks and Clark will run unopposed in the November general election. The new terms begin on Jan. 1, 2027.
County Board of Education (Districts 3 and 5)
Jenny Wisham defeated Thomas Carroll 316-246 in the Republican primary for District 5 on the Board of Education. The seat was held by Chair Becky Soto, who didn’t seek reelection after serving on the BOE for 12 years.
“I am very excited, and I’m very thankful for everyone that has supported me and everyone that voted for me,” Wisham said Tuesday night. “I’m excited to get to work.”
Incumbent Susan Robinson ran unopposed in the Republican primary for the Board of Education seat for District 3.
They will both run unopposed in November.
State Senate (District 24)
Lorraine Thomas had 8,752 votes to defeat Smithonia resident Catie Young, who finished with 2,936 votes in the Democratic primary for the State Senate seat for District 24.
She will face incumbent Lee Anderson, R-Grovetown, who has run unopposed since 2018.
State House (District 124)
Incumbent Trey Rhodes, R-Greensboro, will run against Democrat Melanie Miller for the State House of Representatives seat for District 124. Both ran unopposed in the primary.
Governor
With Gov. Brian Kemp departing office after serving two consecutive terms, the Democratic and Republican races for governor were highly contested. Seven Democrats and eight Republicans ran for the seat.
Kiesha Lance Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta, defeated her opponents in the Democratic primary, winning 56.2% of the vote.
With none of the candidates receiving a majority of the vote, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare executive Rick Jackson will advance to a runoff on June 16 to decide the Republican candidate.
Oglethorpe County residents favored Bottoms and Jones. Bottoms received 411 of the total votes and Jones received 910.
National elections
Republican Houston Gaines, who had 66.9% percent of the votes, will run against Democrat Pamela Delancy for U.S. House of Representatives for District 10, which includes Oglethorpe County.
Republican Mike Collins and Derek Dooley will face each other in a runoff on June 16 for a chance to challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Nonpartisan general election
Five candidates ran for three seats on the Georgia Supreme Court.
Incumbent Ben Land ran unopposed. Incumbents Charles Bethel and Sarah Warren defeated Miracle Rankin and Jen Jordan, respectively.
Seven candidates ran for five seats on the Georgia Court of Appeals. Incumbents J. Wade Padgett, David Markle and Sara Doyle ran unopposed. Incumbents Trenton Brown and Elizabeth Gobeil defeated challengers Will Wooten and Fatima Felton, respectively.
Other state elections
Both the Democratic and Republican parties will have a runoff for lieutenant governor. Democrats Josh McLaurin and Nabilah Parkes, and Republicans John Kennedy and Greg Dolezal will face each other.
Both the Democratic and Republican parties will have a runoff for Secretary of State. Republicans Tim Fleming and Vernon Jones, and Democrats Penny Reynolds and Dana Barrett will face each other.
Republican Brian Strickland will face Democrat Tanya Miller for the Attorney General seat.
Incumbent Tyler Harper ran unopposed for the Commissioner of Agriculture in the Republican primary and will face Democrat Katherine Juhan-Arnold in November.
Incumbent John King ran unopposed for Commissioner of Insurance on the Republican ticket. He will run against Democrat Keisha Waites in November.
- Incumbent Bárbara Holmes was unopposed in the Republican primary for Commissioner of Labor. She will face Democrat Nikki Porcher in November.