Savannah-Chatham School Board election results are in: Here's who won

The Chatham County Board of Education district representative elections ended with a District 1 win for Denise Grabowski, a solid showing by District 3 incumbent Cornelia Hall and an upset of two-term District 7 incumbent Michael Johnson by challenger Stephanie Campbell.

Early voting numbers came in around 7:41 p.m. Tuesday evening and the initial results set the tone for the evening with leaders remaining in their top spots when the Chatham County Board of Elections posted final results at 11:27 p.m.

Grabowski ekes out second term for District 1

District 1 incumbent Grabowski had an early voting showing of 615 votes to challenger Barbara Hubbard's 455. Grabowski never relinquished the lead, though the margin narrowed significantly with her winning by only 2.04% with an edge of 104 votes.

She ran as an involved public school parent as well as an urban planner with an eye for strategic planning. She campaigned on how her professional background made her uniquely qualified to understand the impact of capital projects on teacher and student success. Her approach appeared to resonate with voters as she claimed more than the required 50% + 1 to avoid a runoff.

Hubbard built a campaign around her decades of service in the school system first as a teacher, then principal and eventually as an administrator. She positioned herself as a champion for teacher retention through unburdening them as much as possible. She also had the backing of some well-known local donors ― such as Don Waters, former chairman of the Georgia Board of Regents; Greg Parker, founder and CEO of Parker's Kitchen; and Dale Critz Jr., president of Critz Auto Group ― but ultimately failed to unseat Grabowski.

Grabowski celebrated at home with her family and expressed gratitude at being able to hug her children at graduation as a board member in the coming years. She thanked her supporters for the win and said, "I think that the margins of the vote are evidence of the critical importance of every single vote that is cast. There is nothing that can be taken for granted, and I am humbled and grateful for the support of District 1."

Hall handedly retains District 3 seat

Hall officially secured her fourth term on the school board. She charged into first place when early voting numbers dropped, claiming 69.94% of the initial 780 votes. Her lead over challenger Tanet Taharka Myers remained intact throughout the evening until Hall walked away with 65.63% of the total votes.

Myers positioned herself as a lifelong Savannahian and product of SCCPSS who also went on to raise a special needs child that went through SCCPSS. Her perspective was that the school system is in crisis and needed a new voice on the board for District 3 to address teacher burnout, student supports and community engagement. She responded to a request for comment early Wednesday morning congratulating Hall on "a successful reelection bid." She vowed to "continue to make myself available to anyone in need" and thanked voters, her campaign supporters and "each person who was brave enough to share their stories with me."

Hall was appointed to the board in 2012 and has affirmed that this next term will be her last. After the final polls came through, she said, "Two years from now I will certainly begin to look around for someone who I could mentor to possibly...succeed me." She said focus areas for her next term will be early childhood literacy, student mental health and middle grades math improvement. She thanked her District 3 constituency for showing up. "I'm just happy to know that I'm going back with a strong mandate," she said.

District 7's Johnson says, 'We fell short' after Campbell unseats him

When District 7 early voting numbers posted, challenger Stephanie Campbell was in the lead with 48.51% of the vote in the three-way race. She was 153 votes ahead of incumbent Michael Johnson, who had 31.68% of the early vote. James "Jay" Jones never secured more than an initial 19.80% of the vote, but his presence pulled 508 votes from his opponents.

Campbell's lead only grew throughout the evening until she secured 52.79% of the vote, passing the threshold to avoid a runoff.

Johnson's campaign had focused on literacy, school safety plus mental health and counseling services as well as strategic capital project planning. He felt one of the biggest challenges in the district was inconsistencies when it came to grading policies, providing special needs services and addressing behavioral issues. After the results came in, he said, "I'm really proud of the campaign that we ran. We fell short. I congratulate Mrs. Campbell...it wasn't my election to take this year."

Jones ran as a change agent who thinks the West Chatham growth could have been better handled and must be immediately tended to. Transportation and diversity of the teaching staff were key priorities of his platform heading into Tuesday's election. The Savannah Morning News (SMN) could not reach him for comment prior to publication.

Campbell’s campaign website had clearly laid out her platform's top markers: “Boost literacy rates, enhance safety standards, and ensure fiscal transparency and accountability.” She attributed her win to boots on the ground, door-to-door campaigning, citing countless hours she and husband spent engaging with community members.

Campbell's April 30 Campaign Contribution Disclosure showed that Georgia District 1 State Representative candidate Beth Majeroni supported Campbell's campaign. Campbell referred to Majeroni as a friend and acknowledged that she spent election night in the company of Majeroni at Arnie's Tavern within The Landings community on Skidaway Island. Campbell also confirmed that she is affiliated with Ladies on the Right, a conservative political advocacy organization that focuses heavily on public schools and education.

In comments to SMN, the outgoing Johnson stated he intended to reach out to Campbell at the end of his term as she transitioned into the role.

Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Campbell upsets Johnson, wins SCCPSS District 7 school board race