George Hartwig wins 3rd term, while challenger resigns from Houston County DA’s office

When all the votes were counted, the margin narrowed in the race for Houston County district attorney, but it wasn’t enough for the Democratic challenger to oust her former boss.

Republican incumbent George Hartwig was reelected by 2,831 votes over challenger and then Chief Assistant District Attorney Erikka Williams.

Challenger resigns

Williams resigned from the DA’s Office, where she’s worked for 18 years after the election.

“I would like to say thank you to everyone that supported me whether they crossed the aisles to do it,” Williams said Thursday. “The district attorney is about the entire county and I was glad to see so much of the entire county pull together to get behind me.

Hartwig captured 51.93% of the vote, compared to 48.07% cast for Williams, according to unofficial votes totals. More than 71% of Houston County’s registered voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s election.

Williams said she resigned her post Wednesday afternoon, effective immediately, while some 20,000 absentee ballots were still being counted.

Adjudicating ballots

Of those, 400 to 500 ballots had to be “adjudicated,” or reviewed by a three-person panel that included a representative from the GOP and Democratic parties and an election official, said Andy Holland, registration/election assistant for the Houston County Board of Elections.

Before those votes were counted, Hartwig was leading by 6,370 votes. That spread narrowed 2,831 votes when all was counted.

Williams said she’s going to take some time to figure out what’s she’s going to do next.

“I’m going to take a couple of weeks to get my mind back right to get off this treadmill of campaigning and all,” Williams said. “And then I’ll get back at it.

“I’m a lawyer, so I can practice law anywhere in the state of Georgia. I plan to keep my talents in Houston County, and we’ll take it from there.”

Noting she’s the first woman to run for the district attorney’s post in the GOP stronghold of Houston County, Williams said she was pleased with her showing at the polls and won’t rule out another bid for elected office in the future.

A third term

Hartwig’s victory won him a third term as the county’s head prosecutor. He was not available for comment Thursday by The Telegraph’s deadline.

Hartwig ran unopposed in 2012 and 2016 for the four-year seat. He was elected in a runoff in a 2010 special election to fill the remaining term of Kelly Burke, who retired in early 2010. Burke had endorsed Williams for DA in Tuesday’s election.

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. Hartwig also had a private law practice in Macon and has a background in law enforcement in Florida.