Jefferson County incumbents sweep primary: Runoff planned for Dist. 2 commissioner seat

Incumbents swept Jefferson County’s primary elections this year winning every seat against all challengers except for in the District 2 County Commission race, where there will be a runoff.

Incumbent Dist. 2 Commissioner Johnny Davis (Dem), who received 394 votes (49.94 percent), will face Rodney F. McKinnie (Dem), who received 218 votes or 27.63 percent of the total in a runoff election June 18. The third challenger for the Dist. 2 county commission seat, Machelle Phillips Lamb (Dem), received 177 votes or 22.43 percent of the total.

Incumbent Sheriff Charles “Gary” Hutchins, who was first elected into office in 1993, retained his seat as the Democratic candidate receiving 1,998 votes or 56.42 percent of the total cast. Challengers Henry “Tre” Lewis III received 1,236 votes, 34.91 percent, while John Maynard received 307, or 8.67 percent.

In November Hutchins will face Republican candidate Colby Harrell who received 243 votes during the primary.

Incumbent Coroner Edward C. James (Dem) received 1,919, or 55.69 percent of the votes over challenger Jerry L. Taylor’s (Dem) 1,527 or 44.31 percent.

Incumbent Dist. 4 Jefferson County Board of Education Member Julia Wells will retain her seat with 662 votes or 72.32 percent of the total over challenger Corey Forrest who received 261 votes or 27.68 percent.

Incumbent Jefferson County Commission Chairman Mitchel McGraw (Dem) received 2,781 votes. This November he will face Republican challenger Leonard “Lenny” Hobbs Jr who received 287 votes in the primary.

Jefferson County voters carried Daniel “DJ” Jackson (Dem) over Elizabeth “Liz” Johnson (Dem) with 54.85 percent of the local vote, however, throughout the district, Johnson received the most votes, 23,388 (or 58.9 percent of the total) to Jackson's 16,306, earning Johnson the right to face incumbent Republican Rick W. Allen (Rep) as the Democratic nominee in the race for the US House of Representatives Dist. 12 seat this Fall.

Unopposed in the primary were incumbent State Senator for Dist. 23 Max Burns (Rep.) as well as his Democrat opposition this Fall, Shayna Boston; State House of Representatives Rep. Brian L. Prince (Dem); Middle Judicial Circuit District Attorney Trip Fitzner (Rep.); incumbent Jefferson County Probate Court Judges Na’Quella A. Davis (Dem.); incumbent Jefferson County Clerk of Superior Court Anne L. Durden (Dem.); incumbent Tax Commissioner Nancy McGraw (Dem); incumbent Solicitor General Dalton D. Dowdy (Dem); incumbent Dist. 4 County Commissioner William R. Toulson Jr; incumbent State Court Judge John R. Murphy III; incumbent Magistrate Judge Anita P. Thompson and Dist. 2 County Board of Education Member Teresa Brooks.

Casting ballots in the May 21 primaries were 3,969 or 32.97 percent of Jefferson County’s 12,040 registered voters.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Jefferson County incumbents sweep primary: Runoff planned for Dist. 2