Thomas County Election 2006
For a look at all the numbers in the elections of interest in Thomas County and Georgia, see the Election Return page.
General Election results have Judge Jim Hardy of Thomas County winning a full four-year term as a Superior Court Judge on the Southern Judicial Circuit and a Democratic incumbent on the Thomas County school board replaced by her Republican challenger. The two incumbent State Senators that represent Thomas County win reelection while the rest of the vote in the county generally follows the statewide trend.
--Superior Court Judge Jim Hardy won his term by a vote of 68% to challenger Jim Tunison's 32%. Circuit wide, or the counties of Thomas, Brooks, Colquitt, Lowndes and Echols, Hardy had 21,293 votes to Tunison's 12,741 votes with 93% of the precincts reporting. In Thomas County, Hardy had 7,621 votes, 86%, and Tunison had 1.239 votes, 14%.
--In the Thomas County School Board District 1 election between incumbent Democrat Ethel Lee Abrams and Republican Nancy Hiers, the Republican won 52% to 48%. Hiers had a total vote of 384 to Abrams' 358. The Boston district gave Hiers a vote of 164 to Abrams 232. The Metcalfe District gave Hiers a vote of 32 to Abrams 14. The Fire Station #2 district gave Hiers a vote of 96 to Abrams 56. Gatlin Creek District gave Heirs a vote of 9 and Abrams 0. The total vote in the districts on Election Day was Abrams 302 and Hiers 301. It was the absentee and early vote that gave Heirs the final edge.
--In the Legislative elections to determine the State Senators that will represent Thomas County, in State Senate District 8, incumbent Democrat Tim Golden wins reelection over Republican challenger Norman Bennett, 58% to 42%. With 96% of precincts reporting, Golden had 18,070 votes in the district and 3,373 in Thomas County. Bennett had 12,864 votes in the district and 2,706 votes in Thomas County. In State Senate District 11, incumbent Republican John Bulloch wins reelection over Democratic challenger Marjean Boyd, 60% to 40%. With 95% of precincts reporting, Bulloch had 17,542 votes district wide and 2,507 in Thomas County. Boyd had 11,500 votes in the district and 984 in Thomas County.
--For the US Congressional District 2 seat in Georgia, incumbent Democrat Sanford Bishop wins over Republican challenger Brad Hughes, 68% to 32%. With 95% of the precincts reporting, Bishop had 88,097 votes district-wide and in Thomas County the total was 5,192 votes. Hughes had 41,775 votes in the district and a total of 4,465 in Thomas County.
--In the vote for State Representative, District 172, representing Grady and Decatur Counties and with 93% of precincts reporting, Republican incumbent Gene Maddox had 4,987 votes, 53.2%, to Democratic challenger Stanley Mobley's 4,387 votes, or 46.8%.
--Sonny Perdue won a second term as Georgia's Republican Governor over Democratic challenger Lt. Governor Mark Taylor. With 96% of precincts reporting, Perdue had 58% of the state vote, Taylor had 39% and Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes had 4%. In Thomas County, Perdue had a total of 5,866 votes, or 60%, Taylor had 3,648 votes, or 37% and Hayes had 211 votes, or 2%.
--For Lt. Governor, Republican Casey Cagle won over Democrat Jim Martin, 54% to 43%. Libertarian Allen Buckley had 4%. In the contest for secretary of state, Fulton County Commission Chairman Karen Handel won over State Representative Gail Buckner. For Agriculture Commissioner, Democrat Tommy Irvin won reelection. Incumbent and Democrat Attorney General Thurbert Baker won over his Republican challenger Perry McGuire. Democratic Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond won over Republican Brent Brown. Republican incumbent Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine defeated Democrat Guy Drexinger.
--Supreme Court Justice Carol Hunstein won reelection in a nominally non-partisan election over Mike Wiggins, who had the open support of the state Republican Party. She was the only one of four sitting justices up for election to draw an opponent.
--All three of the constitutional amendments and all six referendums on the general election ballot were overwhelmingly approved by voters.
--In US House elections of interest, two incumbent Democratic Congressmen are in races that are still too close to call. Congressman John Barrow has a narrow lead over Republican and former Congressman Max Burns and Congressman Jim Marshall leads narrowly over Republican and former Congressman Mac Collins. Under Georgia law, trailing candidates are granted an automatic recount if the final vote margin is 1%.
--In Florida, Republican Charlie Crist the sitting Florida State Attorney General won the Governor's election 53% to Democratic challenger and US Congressman Jim Davis' 47%. Leon County voters rejected a half-percent increase in the sales tax to provide comprehensive health care for uninsured people in the county. The vote was 40% yes and 60% no. US Senator and Democrat Bill Nelson won over his Republican challenger, Congresswoman Katherine Harris.
RECAP
The 2006 elections in Thomas County had four county commission seats and four county school board seats up in November. The constitutional officers serving the county are elected in presidential election years. However the full legislative delegation serving Thomas County were up for election. The key statewide election was Republican Governor Sonny Perdue’s bid for reelection. Also watched closely were elections for the state’s Lt. Governor, Agriculture Commissioner and Secretary of State. The only federal office for Thomas County citizens to vote on was for the Congressional seat now held by Democratic Representative Sanford Bishop of Albany. Also, there was a rare non-partisan election for a Superior Court bench seat for the Southern Judicial Circuit that includes Thomas County; the appointed Judge, Jim Hardy of Thomas County was challenged by a Brooks County lawyer who has an office in Valdosta, Jim Tunison.
--The General Primary Election was July 18, 2006; the Primary Runoff was August 8, 2006; the General Election was November 7, 2006; the General Election Runoff is December 5, 2006.
PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS
(runoff results)
The SPLOST for Thomas County was approved by voters during the General Primary on Tuesday, July 18, and Kevin Reid, the incumbent for District 3 on the Thomas County School Board, was defeated by challenger Charles Evans. Statewide, Lt. Governor Mark Taylor won the Democratic Primary for Governor and will face Republican incumbent Governor Sonny Perdue in November. In the Republican Primary for Lt. Governor, Ralph Reed was defeated by State Senator Casey Cagle while in the Democratic Primary for Lt. Governor. A primary runoff was set between Jim Martin and Greg Hecht in the Democratic race for Lt. Governor. There were several other runoffs set for statewide offices. That runoff primary was August 8. There was a 28% voter turnout in Thomas County. There was a 20% turnout statewide.
--The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Thomas County proposed for a new court building and other projects passed easily 70% to 30%. The total vote in favor of the SPLOST was 4,039 Yes to 1,740 No. The same basic proposal failed in 2005 by 21 votes.
--For the District 3 seat on the Thomas County School Board, challenger Charles Evans defeated the incumbent Kevin Reid, 225 votes (67%) to 110 (33%). The two faced each other in the Republican Primary and since there was no one to qualify in the Democratic Primary for that seat, Evans will be the new member of the county school board.
--Thomas County Commission District 5 incumbent Josh Herring survived a close call for his reelection to the board over challenger L.F. Mitchell, 235 (54%) to 198 (46%). Mitchell was leading in the contest as several precincts gave him the lead until the largest precinct, Boston, came in and gave Herring the lead for good. Both candidates ran in the Democratic Primary and since there were no candidates in the Republican Primary, Herring will be on the county board for another term. Herring is the Chairman of the County Commission, elected by his fellow board members.
--A new member of the County Commission was elected Tuesday when Ken Hickey won the Republican Primary for District 3 over A.K. "Buck" Goff, 426 (76%) to 138 (24%). Hickey will be on the commission since there were no Democrats to qualify for the position. Incumbent Bobby Brown decided not to run for reelection.
--For the District 1 seat on the Thomas County Board of Education, incumbent Ethel Abrams won the Democratic Primary over challenger William Sales, 200 (64%) to 111 (36%). Abrams will face Republican Nancy Hiers in November when Hiers won the Republican Primary without opposition.
--The rest of the incumbents up for election on the county commission and the county school board were reelected without opposition, except for Merrill Baker, jr., who was elected to the District 1 seat on the county commission to replace retiring incumbent I.L. Mullins. Baker had no opposition in the Democratic Primary and no one ran for the seat in the Republican Primary. Robert Holton had no opposition in the Democratic Primary for District 7 on the commission, Johnny Bannister won the Republican Primary for District 5 on the county school board and Kay Streets won the Republican Primary for District 7 on the county school board.
--Lt. Governor Mark Taylor defeated his gubernatorial Democratic Primary opponent, Secretary of State Cathy Cox, for the right to challenge Republican Governor Sonny Perdue. Perdue easily won his primary fight against a relatively minor opponent. In speaking to supporters during the night, Taylor said, "Make no mistake, the next four months will be a tough fight." Taylor has spent most of his campaign funds on the primary while Perdue still has most of his $9 million for the General Election. Perdue told his supporters during the night, that Georgia was on the right track and asked, "Do we want to go back?" Cox supported Taylor in her concession speech, asking her supporters to get behind Taylor, "Tonight, the battle has ended. The slings and arrows have ceased."
--The former national leader of the Christian Coalition, Ralph Reed, was defeated in his first bid for public office Tuesday when State Senator Casey Cagle defeated him for the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor. Reed told his supporters Tuesday night, "Tonight my candidacy for the lieutenant governor comes to an end."
--There are several races that were to be decided in a runoff August 8. The candidate had to get 50% or more to win without a runoff.
--The Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor was to be selected in a runoff between Jim Martin and Greg Hecht.
--In the Republican primary for Secretary of State, Fulton County Commission Chairman Karen Handel and former State Senate Majority Leader Bill Stephens were the top two finishers but failed to win a majority. The candidates in the Democratic Primary for Secretary of State also failed to win a majority; the runoff there was between State Representative Gail Buckner and Darryl Hicks.
--In the Republican Primary for Agriculture Commissioner, there was a runoff set with farmer Gary Black who had 42% of the vote, and State Senator Brian Kemp who had 27% of the vote. The runoff winner will face incumbent Democrat Tommy Irvin who had no opposition in the Democratic Primary and who says he will retire after the end of his next term.
--In other state primary elections, in the Democratic Primary for State School Superintendent, former US Representative Denise Majette won over Carlotta Harrell. Majette will face Republican incumbent Kathy Cox in the General Election. Cox won over her primary challenger, Danny Carter.
--The two State Senate seats that represent Thomas County will have candidates for local voters to chose from in November. In State Senate District 11 Marjean Boyd, of Bainbridge will challenge incumbent Republican Senator John Bulloch of Thomas County. For State Senate District 8, Democratic incumbent Senator Tim Golden of Valdosta will face Republican Norman Bennett of Valdosta. The two Senate districts generally splits Thomas County in half, but the City of Thomasville is in Senate District 8.
--All the other incumbent legislators representing Thomas County had no opposition in the primary and no opposition in the General Election, so will serve another term. In House District 174, that will be Democratic incumbent State Representative Ellis Black of Valdosta. In House District 173, that will be Republican incumbent Mike Keown of Coolidge.
--The only federal office for Thomas County citizens to vote on is for the Second District Congressional seat now held by Democratic Representative Sanford Bishop of Albany. He will face Republican Brad Hughes of Blakely and who lists his occupation as the ministry.
PRIMARY RUNOFF RESULTS
Georgia voters finally decided on the nominations for four statewide electoral offices during the primary runoff on Tuesday, August 8. In the Atlanta area, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney lost her bid to win a Democratic runoff to return to office. The turnout of voters in Thomas County for the primary runoff election was 4%, or 927 voters out of 21,043 registered voters. Statewide the turnout was just under 9% while the state turnout in the July 18 primary was 22%.
--In the Democratic runoff for Lt. Governor, Jim Martin won with 141,315 votes, or 62.4%, against Greg Hecht who had 85,051 votes, or 37.6%. In Thomas County, Martin had 315 votes to 145 for Hecht. Martin now faces Republican Casey Cagle in November for the office.
--In the Democratic runoff for Secretary of State, Gail Buckner won the runoff with 118,791 votes, or 55.2%, while her opponent, Darryl Hicks, had 96,539 votes, or 44.8%. In Thomas County, Buckner had 265 votes to 192 for Hicks.
--In the Republican runoff for Secretary of State, Karen Handel won with 96,701 votes, or 56.7%, while her opponent, Bill Stephens, had 73,963 votes, or 43.3%. In Thomas County, Handel had 266 votes to 168 for Stephens.
--In the Republican runoff for Agricultural Commissioner, Gary Black won with 101,031 votes, or 60.0%, and his opponent, Brian Kemp, had 67,288 votes, or 40.0%. In Thomas County, Black had 321 votes to 126 for Kemp. Black now faces Democratic incumbent Tommy Irvin in November.
--In the Democratic runoff for the US House of Representatives District 4 seat, incumbent Cynthia McKinney lost to Hank Johnson. Johnson had 41,178 votes, or 58.8%, to McKinney's 28,832 votes, or 41.2%. More than 70,000 votes were cast in the district, 9,000 more than in the July 18 primary. In November, Johnson faces Republican Catherine Davis, a black human resources manager who ran against McKinney in 2004.
--In Grady County in the Democratic runoff for County Commission District 2, Charles Renaud won with 330 votes, or 52.7%, against incumbent Benny Prince, who had 296 votes, or 47.3%.