Here are the official results from Tuesday’s primary election:
Board of Commissioners
District 3
Glen Willard - 407
Henry Rey, Jr. Chairman - 230
Bryan County Board of Education
Vice Chairman
Jeff Morton - 1213
Carrol Ann Coleman - 809
District 2
Dennis Seger - 181
Wanda Lane - 73
District 3
Charlie Johnson - 363
Candace Piper - 233
Charles Blakewood - 89
There were several contested seats on the ballot for the primary election this year and the biggest change will happen on the county’s Board of Education.
Current District 3 representative Jeff Morton will be moving into the position of Vice Chairman starting Jan. 1, while Dennis Seger will step into the District 2 seat and Charlie Johnson will become the new District 3 representative.
The BoE vice chair seat was the only countywide, contested position on the ballot, with Morton facing off against Carrol Ann Coleman, former board chairman.
“Running for the Vice Chair position for the BoE has been a very humbling experience,” Morton said. “So many people encouraged and supported me in this election. I’d like to thank Carrol Ann Coleman for running a good campaign based on the issues. I look forward to serving with the new board members in January and I promise to continue making Bryan County schools the best that they can be.”
In District 2, Seger faced Wanda Lane and thanked everyone for their support – especially his family and residents who helped him financially with his campaign – and for the community’s faith in him to serve as their new representative.
“I meant what I said during my campaign: I’ll be a voice for the community on the board,” Seger said. “If people have problems, they can bring them to me. They might not always like the answer I give them, but there’s nothing saying I can’t look into something and get back to them; I won’t leave anyone hanging. This election shows me that the county is ready for a change and they’re not afraid to have someone who isn’t afraid to speak out.”
Coleman and Lane could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
In District 3, Johnson and Candace Piper were both vying for seat after Charles Blakewood dropped out of the race last week. Johnson and Piper could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
On the Bryan County Board of County Commissioners, District 3 incumbent Glen Willard took on Henry Rey, Jr. and Willard will continue for another term after Tuesday’s results. Neither were available for comment Wednesday.
Chairman Jimmy Burnsed ran unopposed and will serve another term while District 1 incumbent Ed Bacon (R) and challenger Joe Kendrick (D) will face each other in November’s general election.
The county’s constitutional officers will all serve for additional terms, including Sheriff Clyde Smith, Probate Court Judge Sam Davis, Clerk of Superior Court Rebecca Crowe, Tax Commissioner Debbie Newman and Coroner Bill Cox. Davis said State Court Solicitor Ray Smith also qualified for another term prosecuting traffic court cases.
Representatives Jack Kingston, Bill Gillespie, Eric Johnson, Bob Lane and Ron Stephens ran unopposed in their primaries. Saxby Chambliss was running as the unopposed Republican for the U.S. Senate while Dale Cardwell, Vernon Jones, Rand Knight, Josh Lanier and Jim Martin ran on the Democratic side. Jones and Martin took in the majority of votes at 222-181, but neither had 51 percent and they will face off in the primary runoff election Aug. 5.
In Public Service Commission positions, H. Doug Everett faced Rick Collum 945-603; Pam Davidson faced Lauren McDonald, 810-637; and Jim Powell faced Bob Indech, 371-63. Powell (D) and Davidson (R) will next face off in the November general election.