Osborn, Henderson headed for Aug. 11 runoff in sheriff’s race 
County SPLOST passes; Hiawassee says ‘NO’ to fluoride

By Shawn Jarrard

Results are in for the June 9 General Primary Election, and it’s official – Daren “Bear” Osborn and Kenneth “Ode” Henderson are headed for an Aug. 11 Republican Party Primary Runoff for the office of Towns County Sheriff. 

According to state law, a candidate may only be nominated for or elected to public office after receiving a majority of the vote, or at least 50 percent plus 1 vote. If no one receives a majority vote, the top two vote getters must square off in a runoff election. 

A runoff was almost inevitable in Towns County, as the Republican Party ballot featured five candidates vying to be the county’s next top cop: Jim Couch, Linda J. Curtis, Kenneth “Ode” Henderson, Lisa Joseph and Daren “Bear” Osborn.

Osborn received 43.82 percent of the vote with 1,697 votes, followed by Henderson’s 27.78 percent with 1,076 votes, Couch’s 19.47 percent with 754 votes, Curtis’ 5.45 percent with 211 votes, and Joseph’s 3.49 percent with 135 votes. 

No Democrats qualified for Towns County Sheriff in March, so unless Independent and/or Political Body (i.e. Libertarian Party) candidates qualify for the November General Election via petition nomination or write-in candidacy later this summer, the winner of the Aug. 11 runoff will run unopposed in the Nov. 3 General Election to become the next sheriff of Towns County. 

Also in the General Primary, the county’s 1-cent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax passed with 63.49 percent of the overall vote and 2,876 votes. 

The estimated $12 million SPLOST will begin collections Oct. 1 to go largely toward financing major renovations and an addition to the Towns County Courthouse, which dates to 1964, as well as other items. 

SPLOST collections will occur over the next six years, with the referendum calling for the issuance of a SPLOST-backed General Obligation Bond not to exceed $8 million to facilitate the courthouse renovations. 

Towns County will receive 82 percent of total SPLOST collections, and the cities of Hiawassee and Young Harris are each set to receive 9 percent of collections for use on various projects. 

In a city referendum, 57.01 percent of Hiawassee voters rejected fluoride being added to the drinking water provided by the city, which serves the majority of county residents. 

Fluoride is not currently being added to the city’s drinking water, though the Georgia Environmental Protection Division requires water treatment facilities to add fluoride to drinking water unless a referendum is passed – which it now has – and a subsequent ordinance is enacted to exclude it.

For the office of Towns County Coroner, Tamela Cooper defeated Incumbent Harold Copeland in the Republican Primary, securing 53.29 percent of the vote with 2,041 votes to Copeland’s 46.71 percent and 1,789 votes.

Cooper has no Democratic challengers heading into the November election and is set to be sworn into office to start 2021. 

For County Board of Education, Caroleen Woods defeated Steve Green with 56.24 percent of the vote and 2,104 of 3,741 total votes cast. Woods will be sworn into elected office in 2021.  

Also for County Board of Education, Incumbents Brandon Grimsley and Stephanie W. McConnell ran unopposed and will be sworn back into their elected offices in 2021.  

For Georgia House of Representatives District 8, Stan Gunter defeated Steve Townsend to clench the Republican nomination.

District 8 consists of Towns, Union and Rabun counties, as well as a portion of White County, and Gunter won Towns with 65.55 percent of the vote to Townsend’s 34.45 percent. 

Dave Cooper ran unopposed for the District 8 seat on the Democratic ticket, and he will square off against Gunter in the Nov. 3 election. 

For 50th District State Senator, Republican Stacy Hall was in the lead at press time with 26.17 percent of the vote and 37.5 percent of precincts reporting in. Joining Hall in the race were Andy Garrison, Dan Gasaway, Bo Hatchett, Tricia Lynne Hise and Lee Moore. 

On the Democratic ticket, Dee Daley ran unopposed for 50th District State Senator, meaning Daley and the winner of the Republican nomination will go head to head for the seat on Nov. 3. 

For U.S. Representative in the 117th Congress from the 9th Congressional District of Georgia, at press time, Matt Gurtler was ahead by a small margin at 22.76 percent of the vote with 35.29 percent of precincts counted districtwide in the Republican race. 

This contest is likely headed for a runoff, with the other candidates being Michael Boggus, Paul Broun, Andrew Clyde, Maria Strickland, Kevin Tanner, Ethan Underwood, Kellie Weeks, and John K. Wilkinson. 

On the Democratic ticket, Brooke Siskin was in the lead at press time with 43.24 percent of the vote, followed by Dan Wilson with 28.55 percent and Devin Pandy with 28.21 percent. 

For U.S. Senate, Incumbent David A. Perdue qualified unopposed and will be the Republican nominee in November. 

As far as a Democratic challenger, the race was too early to call at press time, though Jon Ossoff had a greater than 30-point lead over his nearest opponent with 38.17 percent of precincts counted. 

Sarah Riggs Amico, Marckeith DeJesus, James Knox, Tricia Carpenter McCracken, Maya Dillard Smith and Teresa Pike Tomlinson are also vying for this Democratic nomination. 

The remaining Towns County referenda having to do with freeport exemptions passed, which will allow businesses to temporarily store certain goods and raw materials without being subject to property taxes on those goods and materials, at least for a time.  

These exemptions will aid existing small manufacturing businesses in Towns County and help to attract new ones, Sole Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw said. 

In other primary race results, both locally and statewide: 

For Tax Commissioner, Democratic Incumbent Bruce Rogers and Republican challenger J.C. Berrong both qualified unopposed and were set to compete for the seat in November.  

However, due to Berrong’s recent passing, Rogers will appear on the November ballot unopposed, and he is set to be sworn into office in 2021. 

The following local incumbents all qualified unopposed and without party challengers ahead of the General Primary: Commissioner Bradshaw, Probate Judge David Rogers and Superior Court Clerk Cecil Dye. They are set to be sworn into office in 2021.

For Public Service Commissioner, Republican Incumbent Jason Shaw and Democrat Robert G. Bryant qualified unopposed and will face off in the November General Election.  

Also for Public Service Commissioner, Republican Incumbent Lauren Bubba McDonald Jr. qualified unopposed. Daniel Blackman and John Noel were competing for the Democratic nomination, with Blackman in the lead at 71.01 percent of the vote with 38.46 percent of precincts reporting in. 

On the Nonpartisan General Election Ballot, two Georgia Supreme Court seats were up for election. At press time, Incumbent Charlie Bethel was leading Elizabeth “Beth” Beskin with 57.4 percent of the vote, and Incumbent Sarah Hawkins Warren was leading Hal Moroz with 79.26 percent of the vote.  

For Court of Appeals Judge, Incumbents Trenton “Trent” Brown III, Christian Coomer, Sara Doyle, Elizabeth Dallas Gobeil, David Todd Markle and Carla McMillian all ran unopposed and are set to be sworn in.

Incumbent Joy R. Parks ran unopposed for Judge, Superior Court of the Enotah Judicial Circuit, and she is set to be sworn in again.

Donald J. Trump won the Republican nomination in Georgia for the Presidential Preference Primary, and Joe Biden won on the Democratic side. 

Please see the June 17 edition of the newspaper for full election results, including the Republican and Democratic party questions that appeared on the June 9 General Primary ballot.