Hartwig wins GOP nomination for Houston County DA with nearly 73% of the vote

After defeating his opponent in the GOP primary, incumbent Houston County District Attorney George Hartwig faces a challenge from another prosecutor within his office in the general election.

Houston County Chief Assistant District Attorney Erikka Williams ran unopposed on the Democrat ticket. The two square off Nov. 3.

“We’re going to do the same thing that we did for this primary,” the 61-year-old Hartwig said Wednesday. “We’re gonna pray about it, turn it over the Lord, and we’ll get out and work hard later this summer and let the people of Houston County decide who their next district attorney is going to be in November.”

Hartwig said he was humbled by his 73% victory Tuesday over challenger, Arthur Creque, chief assistant solicitor for Houston County State Court.

“I chose to focus on what I thought the people of this county truly cared about and that is who’s the best man for the job, who’s got the qualifications and experience and the track record and who is the best man to continue seeking justice in this county and keep this community safe,” Hartwig said. ‘And I think when you looked at those issues and those factors, I think hands down I was clearly the most qualified and best man for the job and I think the voters saw that.”

Hartwig captured 4,919 votes, or 72.58% of the 6,777 votes cast, according to unofficial vote totals. Creque earned 1,858 votes, or 27.42% of the vote.

Hartwig bested Creque in a runoff election for the post in 2010, though Creque had been the top vote-getter in the three-way special election that led to the runoff but didn’t garner enough votes to capture victory. Rabb Wilkerson, who had been appointed as district attorney to fill the unexpired term of Kelly Burke, came in third.

Hartwig ran unopposed in 2012 and 2016 for the four-year seat.

Hartwig previously served as legal counsel for the Department of Human Services, Division of Child Support Services. He was also prosecutor for the Houston County District Attorney’s Office for nine years before that.

He’s also had a private law practice in Macon and has a background in law enforcement in Florida.

Hartwig, who focused on his experience, ran a low-key campaign. He said the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from his favorite way of campaigning of meeting and greeting people at restaurants and by knocking on doors.

“It was a very strange, different type of a campaign,” Hartwig said. “But again, it was that way for every candidate from every party ... I do hope we do get back to a more traditional, more open public type of campaign in the fall. I think that’s what our community likes and what I like as a candidate is getting out there and meeting the people.”

In August 2019, Hartwig was awarded the 2018-2019 Board of Directors Advocacy Award by the Association of Government Attorneys in Capital Litigation.

Hartwig received the award for the successful prosecution of Homer Ridley III, who was indicted in May 2015 for the December 1994 murder of Summer Gleaton in Warner Robins. Ridley pleaded guilty in June 2018 and was sentenced to life without possibility of parole.

Creque could not be reached for comment.

This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 3:50 PM.