Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick talks about big win in reelection bid

First-term incumbent LaRhonda Patrick easily won a second term as Warner Robins mayor Tuesday, getting nearly 80% of the votes cast to defeat challenger Fabian Velazquez in his first bid for office.

The vote was 9,518 for Patrick and 2,495 votes for Velazquez, with Patrick garnering the victory with 79.23% of votes cast, according to unofficial vote totals from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

Patrick, 42, a former Fort Valley city attorney with a background in corporate, government procurement and municipal law, ran on her experience and track record over the past four years. Her campaign platform included redevelopment of the downtown district, workforce housing and combating homelessness.

“Four years ago, when I won, I was shocked and I was scared,” Patrick told a crowd of supporters assembled at an election watch party for her at the Curtis Event Center off Watson Boulevard. “I was nervous. I was terrified.

“But today I stand here confident, not that I would win, but confident in the job that I’ve done in four years and feeling like I’ve done enough to earn the term. So thank you all so much for believing in me. Thank you for voting for me. Thank you for showing up for me and also encouraging me and picking me up on those hard days.”

During the watch party, the crowd came to their feet in applause and cheers when the race was called.

The mood at the watch party was festive as precinct results were announced throughout the election night.

With a DJ on hand, some of her supporters took to the dance floor. Many had photos taken with Patrick throughout the evening.

Warner Robins City Council members Kevin Lashley, Keith Lauritseen, Clifford Holms, Charlie Bibb and Larry Curtis Jr. all attended the watch party, as did Houston County Sheriff Matt Moulton.

“You saw me and my guys today,” Patrick said of council members. “We literally love each other. We work great as a team, and God can do phenomenal things as long as you let Him use you. So, I’m here by the grace of God. He had a purpose on my life that I had no earthly clue would be my life. But I’m now here, living a career in public service, and I don’t want to let it go. I love, love, love serving each of you in our city.”

Patrick also talked about her 8-year-old son Laine, who made a Facebook video by himself in support of his mom that posted on Election Day.

In an interview with media representatives, Patrick said she looks forward to working on several initiatives, including a new animal shelter, the Perkins Field renovation project, a new activity center and senior center and on-demand shuttle transportation.

She plans to take a couple of days off to spend time with her son.

During the campaign, Patrick and Velazquez clashed on their visions for the city, including initiatives related to the development of the north side of town.

Velazquez, 24, who owns a landscaping business servicing about 130 properties, ran on bringing a fresh approach to government and was often critical of Patrick’s tenure as mayor. His campaign platform included safer neighborhoods, more middle class housing and a vibrant north side of town.

At a Tuesday afternoon press conference ahead of the polls closing, Velazquez took questions from the media before heading to be with his family to wait for election results to come in.

“I think this has been a really eye-opening experience with my campaign,” Velazquez said. “It really was a criticism of what I thought nobody else was doing, which was calling out the administration for what I thought were clear faults, and I’m hoping that I could bring forth some issues whether I win or lose.”

The press conference was held in the parking lot of North Gate Plaza Shopping Center at 562 North Davis Drive. Velazquez said he chose the parking lot on the north side of town to highlight issues with the city’s zoning ordinance.

“Particularly, if you look right here, there’s a lot of parking spaces and they’re empty,” Velazquez said, referring to zoning code that requires “arbitrary” parking minimums, which he aimed to get rid of if elected.

“If you have these minimum setbacks, it’s not going to look anything like what a downtown should look like,” Velazquez said. “If you go to Macon and you see their downtown, the buildings are very close to the street and so unless we actually change the zoning code, we’re going to be making exceptions for big developers to develop the town in their image and not the people of Warner Robins.

“So basic things like that really have a big impact on the long run.”

In a Facebook post after the results were in, Velazquez congratulated the mayor on her victory and said he would continue to pray for the city of Warner Robins and Patrick’s administration.

“As a first time candidate, I have a deeper respect for candidates and politicians that have to bear the weight of public opinion and scrutiny. I hope the best for her. Congratulations LaRhonda Patrick on a landslide victory!”

Velazquez, who could not be reached for comment late Tuesday night, also thanked his supporters in a separate Facebook post.

“I want to thank all the people that supported me in this uphill battle,” he said in the post. “Together, we were able to shift the conversation.”

In a run-off election Nov. 30, 2021, Patrick defeated two-term incumbent Randy Toms to win the mayor’s seat in her first run for office by 325 votes, garnering 51.85% of the total votes cast.

Patrick is the first Black person, first elected woman and the youngest person to serve as mayor in the city’s history. Her father’s U.S. Air Force career brought her family to Warner Robins when she was in middle school.

This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 10:49 PM.