The Putnam County Board of Commissioners was set to have a new look in 2027, regardless of the election, as Chairman Bill Sharp and Commissioner Jeff Wooten chose not to run for re-election.
After the results were counted Tuesday night, the three candidates who campaigned together for change will get just that. Steve Hersey, District 3 commissioner, won the Republican nomination for chairman, a position he has held before. Two newcomers, Jennifer Ray and Erin Olson — co-founders of the Taxpayers Watchdog Group, which has amassed a large social media following — also won their primaries.
Olson won her contest outright with no Democrat or independent challenger.
Hersey will face independent Lenwood Pickens in November, pending the required signatures for nomination. Likewise, Ray has an independent challenger, Michael B. Griffin.
A post from Olson on Facebook called the results an “undeniable message to Putnam County leadership: residents are demanding a shift toward transparency, smarter growth, and the preservation of the county’s rural character.”
Ray posted Tuesday that voters chose a leader with a track record of exposing corruption and demanding accountability.
“Putnam County does not need rubber-stamp leadership right now,” the post read. “We need someone willing to ask the hard questions, demand fiscal transparency, and protect our local resources before they are gone for good.”
According to Kimberly Rudolph, elections supervisor for Putnam County, independent candidates cannot turn in their signature petitions until June 22 through July 14, so there is no way to know yet if they will meet the qualifications for the November election.
The race between Hersey and Charles R. Gray for the Republican nomination was the closest contest. Hersey won 2,250 votes, or 50.93%, compared to 2,168 for Gray, a difference of only 82.
District 3’s contest was not close. There were three candidates for the Republican nomination, and Olson won outright with 1,093 votes, or 64.18%. George W. Hooker came in second with 513, or 30.12%, compared to 97 votes for William Vargo.
Ray earned 795 votes for the District 4 Republican nomination, for 55.4% of the vote share. Paul Gardner won 640 votes.
None of the races will require a runoff, but a runoff is scheduled for June 16 for a number of races up and down the ballot, the most notable being the Republican nomination for governor. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones collected 46.66% of the vote in Putnam County, followed by Rick Jackson at 29.21%.
When it comes to the runoff, voters will have to choose the same party's ballot as in the primary. Those who did not vote in the primary may choose either ballot.