Sheriff, coroner races top ballot in Worth County

SYLVESTER — As a record number of Worth County residents have cast early ballots in the hotly contested presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, they’ve also had to weigh in on two local races as both the incumbent sheriff and incumbent coroner are facing opposition.

After surviving a challenge from Charlie Fortson in May’s Republican primary, incumbent sheriff Jeff Hobby is once again facing opposition in the general election. Hobby’s Nov. 8 challenger is Tracy Jones.

This is the second general election for Hobby, who won election in 2012, succeeding long-time Worth County Sheriff Freddie Tompkins.

During the primary races Hobby said he was seeking re-election because he felt the county was moving in the right direction and that there are several initiatives he began, including a restructuring of the sheriff’s office, that are still left to complete.

“I want to move the county forward,” Hobby said. “We’re still in the process of restructuring the sheriff’s office, and that’s taking some time. You can’t do it overnight.”

The incumbent sheriff and former Georgia State Patrol trooper also said he wants to continue his office’s fight against drugs, which has been a focus since he took office.

“We’ve been cleaning up the streets from drugs,” Hobby said. “If you get the drugs down, you’re reducing the crime rate. Most everything relates to the drug trade, and that’s what I’m hardest at.”

Before Hobby can return his focus to driving drugs out of Worth County, he has to take on Jones, a lieutenant with the Sylvester Police Department, who has also worked for the District Attorney’s Office and as a jailer with the Worth County Sheriff’s Office, according to his campaign Facebook page.

In his campaign material, Jones said he has been responsible for reinstating the Citizens Police Academy, starting a citizen firearms safety course and bringing the Coffee with a Cop program to Sylvester, things which factor into his mission to help bring the community together.

“As your sheriff, I will continue to offer these programs to Worth County, and with your vote and support I will give you a sheriff’s office you can be proud to call yours,” said his online campaign statement.

In the race for county coroner Republican incumbent Johnny Johnson, who has served in that capacity for more than a decade, is squaring off against challenger Jonathan Luke, an EMT and political newcomer.

Johnson, who worked 16 years as an EMT before becoming coroner, made the ballot after besting a challenge from Boyd Brown in May’s Republican primary. Throughout his campaign, Johnson has said that he has the experience to continue giving Worth County residents the support they need during difficult times.

“I’m running for re-election so I can continue giving the people of Worth County, like I have been for the last 11 years, advice and comfort during stressful times,” said Johnson. “I don’t mind doing it because I’m helping the citizens of Worth County.”

Johnson’s challenger also has a passion for service and said he made the decision to run for coroner after considerable internal debate and discussion with his family and friends.

“It’s something I’ve thought about off and on for a while,” said Luke in a recent interview. “I’ve been in public safety for roughly 10 years, and it’s something I enjoy doing. I’m running for coroner because people deserve compassion. I want to do right by families and give them the comfort and care that they need during a difficult time.”

The local races are expected to get a strong voter push thanks to what Worth County elections officials are saying is one of the busiest election years in the county’s history.

Virginia Andrews, chair of the county’s Board of Elections, said that based on early and absentee voting, she is anticipating roughly 80 percent of Worth’s registered voters casting ballots in this year’s election.

“I think we’re going to get close to that,” Andrews said. “There’s a lot of interest out there. Early voting has surpassed all records. We went back and checked, and we’re probably 400, almost 500, (votes) over any elections we’ve had before.”

Andrews said the most advance votes the county had ever had was roughly 2,500, and as of Thursday afternoon the elections office had already counted more than 2,800. The elections office has also mailed out 300 absentee ballots.

Additionally, Andrews said last Saturday’s statewide voting day also drew record crowds as 188 people turned out to vote, topping the county’s previous Saturday voting high of 42.

While Andrews said voters are certainly interested in the two local elections, she said the presidential race has been the main driver for voter turnout so far.

“Apparently, there’s just more interest in this presidential election than in any other presidential election we’ve had,” she said. “There’s a lot of first-time voters.”