Live updates: Bechtel and Brown headed to June runoff election for MWA chairman
While there were only a handful of contested races throughout Middle Georgia, Peach State voters had plenty of reasons to head to the polls Tuesday, from selecting a Republican nominee to challenge Sen. Raphael Warnock in November to choosing whether to send Gov. Brian Kemp to another general election showdown with Stacey Abrams.
Here are the latest updates from the May 24 primary election, including vote totals for local and statewide races:
All Bibb County precincts reporting
With every Macon-Bibb County voting precinct reporting, unofficial vote totals are in.
Gary Bechtel and Desmond Brown are headed for a runoff for the Macon Water Authority chairman position. The runoff election will be held on June 21.
Anissa Jones retained her position against challenger Eleanor Welch.
All Houston County precincts reporting
With every Houston County voting precinct reporting, unofficial vote totals are in.
Shane Gottwals and Tal Talton have won their Houston County Commission races, while incumbent Lori Johnson defeated Yolanda Franklin in the District 2 school board race.
In the District 6 at-large school board position, Mark Ivory and Tim Baggerly appear headed for a runoff.
GOP primary for GA 2nd Congressional District heading to runoff
With 73% of the votes counted, it appears Republicans Jeremy Hunt and Chris West are heading for a runoff in Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District. The winner will take on Sanford Bishop in November.
Hunt leads with 16,821 votes (34.32%) to West’s 15,803 (32.24%). Hunt is a 28-year-old former U.S. Army Captain and Fox News commentator who recently moved to Columbus. West, 38, is an attorney for a Thomasville real estate development company and an officer in the Georgia Air National Guard.
Bibb County reports some voting totals
The Bibb County board of election has reported early voting totals about an hour after Macon’s last polling place closed. The only contested races are for Macon Water Authority chairman and District 1. Twenty-five of 31 precincts have reported Election Day totals as well.
David Perdue concedes to Brian Kemp
David Perdue, the former U.S. Senator who was drawn into Georgia’s Republican primary for governor by former President Donald Trump, has conceded. Brian Kemp is the Republican nominee.
Perdue told supporters in Atlanta that he “called the governor and I congratulated him” before 8:30 p.m., the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Kemp and Abrams will face off in the 2022 governor’s race, a rematch of the close 2018 election.
Houston County reports early vote totals
The Houston County election board has reported early vote totals, including for two contested commission races and two contested school board races.
In the school board races, incumbent Lori Johnson is defeating challenger Yolanda Franklin 1,851 votes (66.08%) to 950 (33.92%).
For the at large position, Mark Ivory leads a four-person race with 4,633 votes (34.87%).
Warnock, Walker will battle in U.S. Senate election
While we are still awaiting ballot counts from Macon, the Associated Press has called the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in favor of Herschel Walker and the Democratic primary for incumbent Raphael Warnock.
Walker, a former Heisman Trophy winner for the Georgia Bulldogs and star running back in the NFL, secured the endorsement of Trump and remained the front-runner throughout the race. Warnock was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2021, defeating Kelly Loeffler in a runoff.
These were the second and third races the Associated Press called this evening. The AP declared Stacey Abrams the Democrat nominee for Georgia governor. She faced no opposition.
Voting extended until 8 p.m. at one Macon polling place
The Howard 1 polling place, located inside Northway Church at 5915 Zebulon Road, experienced a delay from 7-7:45 a.m. when the location first opened. The Superior Court issued a ruling to extend the time to 8 p.m. to allow for a full 12-hour voting period.
State senate candidate disqualified
Diane Vann filed to challenge State Senate District 18 incumbent Sen. John Kennedy. But last Saturday, Administrative Law Judge Lisa Boggs ruled Vann is not qualified to run because her home on Commanche Drive in north Macon is no longer in District 18, according to reporting by the CCJ’s Liz Fabian.
Middle Georgians head to polls
Brian Butler was one of the first dozen voters at the East Macon 3 precinct. He told GPB News’ Grant Blankenship that his voting experience was simple and went “very smoothly.”
“We have a big important governor’s race and senate race, both will be really close,” he said. “I pulled a different ballot than I did last time. On the Republican side, there was a lot more competition, a lot more choices.”
Kenneth and Deborah McGrotha of Macon told Blankenship after voting at Mikado Baptist Church in South Bibb County they did not trust the result of the 2020 election. They have hope for result of this primary election.
“We’ll trust it,” Kenneth McGrotha said. “After the last election, I think a lot of things have changed and made it better. We’ll trust it.”
Statewide races of note
This story was originally published May 24, 2022 at 7:02 PM.
