In a contest that flooded airwaves, mailboxes, and cell phones for months, businessman Rick Jackson defeated Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for the Republican nomination for governor in the June 16 runoff.
Putnam County voters, however, preferred Jones, who carried the county by a 1,791-1,563 margin over Jackson. Jones previously served as the state senator for District 25, which includes Putnam County and is now represented by Rick Williams.
Jackson will face former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the November general election.
In the other marquee race, District 10 U.S. Rep. Mike Collins defeated former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley 2,042-1,316 in Putnam County. Collins, whose district includes Putnam County, also won statewide with 55.54% of the vote and will face incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.
Putnam County Republicans narrowly favored Greg Dolezal for lieutenant governor, giving him a 1,675-1,600 victory over John F. Kennedy (not that one). On the Democratic side, Josh McLaurin defeated Nabilah Parkes 232-150 in Putnam County.
The statewide results mirrored Putnam County, with Dolezal receiving 54.2% of the vote and McLaurin earning 54.88%.
There were no local races on the runoff ballot, but an automatic recount was triggered in the Republican race for District 3 Public Service Commissioner after the margin fell below 0.5%. The recount was conducted on Wednesday at the Putnam County Board of Elections and Registration.
Other Putnam County runoff results:
Secretary of State (Republican)
- Tim Fleming — 2,226
- Vernon Jones — 1,015
Secretary of State (Democratic)
- Dana Barrett — 124
- Penny Brown Reynolds — 260
Commissioner of Insurance (Democratic)
- DeAndre Mathis — 181
- Keisha Sean Waites — 198
Commissioner of Labor (Democratic)
- Nikki Porcher — 243
- Michelle Michi Sanchez — 134
State School Superintendent (Republican)
- Fred "Bubba" Longgrear — 1,537
- Richard Woods (incumbent) — 1,653
Public Service Commission, District 5 (Republican)
- Bobby Mehan — 1,265
- Josh Tolbert — 1,695