Terrell County candidates move forward following runoff results

DAWSON — The runoff election in Terrell County on Tuesday bought Sheriff John Bowens another four years, while bringing a 17-year employee of the county’s tax commissioner office into the position about to be vacated by retiring Tax Commissioner Peggy Pritchard.

With those offices now decided by the voters, the next step is moving forward.

Former law enforcement officer James Driver Jr. lost in his quest to unseat Bowens with a vote of 1,176-802. Driver, who received 40.55 percent of the vote, advanced to the runoff with Bowens after Dawson police Capt. Wallace Price was taken out of the race during the primary election on May 24.

“I just want to thank the citizens who (came) out to vote for me and support me through the campaign,” Driver, a manager with Thompson Gas Co., said.

Driver said he ran on a platform for change, which he said — based on Tuesday’s results — some citizens in Terrell County might not be ready for. He did express some confidence that the runoff, an experience the more-than-two-decades incumbent was relatively new to, brought in a high early voter turnout.

“I’m almost 99 percent sure I’m coming back in four years,” Driver said. “He (Bowens) said he only wanted one more term … we’ll see if he is true to his word.”

The field for the tax commissioner’s race initially included four people. After the primary election, Chief Tax Appraiser Darlene Paul, who earned 795 votes in the May race, and tax commissioner’s office employee Mary Ellen Harnage, who captured 506 votes in the primary, faced each other in Tuesday’s runoff.

“I want to make sure that I don’t let the people down who have voted me in,” Harnage said.

The tax commissioner-elect said she intends to make the office one that makes things simple for the customer. She said she still intends to help out at the counter and wants to bring in a debit and credit card service as well as the option of viewing property taxes online for taxpayer convenience.

“Customer service is my main goal. I want to make sure they (the public) don’t dread being here,” she said.

Harnage said she wanted to thank everyone who contributed to her campaign and election.

“I appreciate every one who voted for me and the work they (the supporters) did,” she said. “I appreciate every last one. I don’t care what it was.”

Harnage was ultimately able to defeat Paul in the runoff for the seat by receiving 1,047 votes, or 53.61 percent of those cast, to Paul’s 906, accounting for 46.39 percent of votes.

“I gave it my all, stayed on the high road, which was a lonely road sometimes,” Paul said. “The people are just not ready for change. I will continue in my current role as chief appraiser and make the assessor’s office one of the best offices in the state.”

Following a campaign that involved knocking on many doors, Paul said Wednesday she was not certain if she would run again, but she did express gratitude for those who got her through the May and July elections.

“We are picking up signs and thanking the people for what they did,” she said. “I want to thank those who did vote for me and encouraged me.”

Bowens was not immediately available on Wednesday.

Terrell Elections Supervisor/Registrar Carolyn Williams said early voting brought in 723 people in May and 747 for the runoff. The runoff turnout in the county, which has 5,425 active voters, was roughly 36 percent.

Election day was also busy in Lee County as Melanie Gahring narrowly defeated Miles O’Quinn in a runoff to determine the county’s next Probate Court judge.

In results very similar to those that helped the two candidates emerge from a four-person race in May, Gahring edged O’Quinn by just 62 votes after receiving 1,141 votes, or 51.21 percent, Tuesday night to his 1,087, 48.79 percent. In May, Gahring captured 1,283 votes to O’Quinn’s 1,216, edging him by only 67 votes.

Although the 2,228 voters that went to the polls in the runoff didn’t match the total of those who voted in May’s primaries, Lee County Elections Supervisor Veronica Johnson said she was pleased that more than 14 percent of the county’s 16,440 voters exercised their right to choose.

“That’s more than I expected,” said Johnson, who said going into election day that she’d be happy if the county reached 10 percent. “I’d always like to see more, but I’m pleased we had that many.”

Johnson said she believes the turnout exceeded her expectations because both Gahring and O’Quinn worked very hard to rally voters and encourage them to vote.

“I can’t say enough about what good, quality candidates we had for this position,” Johnson said. “It says so much about the candidates that half of the people who voted last time came back. That goes back to the candidates. They continued to work hard. It’s really up to the people who are running to encourage voters, and a large part of the voters responded.”

Johnson also had praise for the county’s Elections staff, saying that her team of poll workers is the “best in the state.”

“I have the best poll workers; I really, really do,” said Johnson. “I’m very lucky. They’re all dedicated, and they work hard.”

In other runoff election results from Southwest Georgia:

— Brandon Winns defeated Darien Brown 265-183 in the Calhoun County coroner’s race;

— Tony Thompson defeated Tracy Green 786-514 for Randolph County Probate Court judge;

— Reginald Hall defeated Brooks Carter 182-110 in the District 2 Early County School Board race, while Billy Adams edged Ed Norman 614-602 in the at-large School Board race;

— Michael Rogerson defeated Debbie Womble 967-838 for Seminole County Probate Court judge.

Brad McEwen contributed to this story