Local & State Headlines

Worth County races head for runoffs

• Sheriffs in Terrell and Tift counties win new terms Tuesday.

Holly McCarthy

SYLVESTER — With 14 of 18 precincts reporting, the Worth County sheriff’s race appeared to be heading to a runoff, with incumbent Freddie Tompkins gathering 45 percent of votes and Mike Hill getting 35 percent.

Also likely to be determined by runoff was the County Commission chair seat. Incumbent Dan E. Miller led with 41 percent of votes and Matt Medders followed with 36 percent.

Tony Strenth appeared to have won the Democratic chief magistrate race with over 65 percent of votes. He will face Republican Barbara Willis in November.

Incumbent Tony Hall was ahead of Webbie Hill in the County Commission District 1 race with 287 votes to Hill’s 200 votes.

Bryce Johnson headed for a win for solicitor with over 53 percent of votes.

Board of Education race leaders were Jerry E. Jones for District 2 with 120 to Gayle B. Edwards 90 in the GOP race, and Mike D. Roberts in District 3 had 307 votes to David Cooper’s 172 in that Democratic race.

TERRELL COUNTY

John Bowens was elected to a new term as sheriff of Terrell County with 1,203 votes took just under 65 percent of the total vote to outdistance two challengers. The turnout was at 37.53 percent of the 5,369 registered voters in the unofficial vote totals.

In other races, Janice Bryant (842) and Sondra C. Walker (821) were headed for a runoff in the race for clerk of courts; John L Gardner (226) defeated John A. Ingram (187) in School Board District 1; Ralph N. Chambless (166) outdistanced Clifford D. Browner Jr. (140) in School Board District 2, and Linda P. Jones (287) won over Fannie Maude Dennard (123) in School Board District 5.

TIFT COUNTY

Longtime Tift County Sheriff Gary Vowell won his fourth four-year term by overcoming a challenge from Tifton Police Department criminal investigator Raleigh Coarsey.

Vowell had 2,518 votes to 1,297 for Coarsey.

“It’s very humbling to win by that margin,” Vowell said. “After three terms, I app’reciate the confidence the comjunity has in me. I plkan to continue to serve them just as hard the next four years as I have the last 12.”

Also in Tift County, incumbent Chief Magistrate Judge Doug Jones defeated fellow Republican Clay Yelverton 2,661 to 1,067. With no Democratic opposition, Jones will begin a new four-year term in January.

MILLER COUNTY

In Miller County, incumbent Sheriff defeated Gerald Jenkins 1,480 to 527.

Managing Editor Danny Carter and staff writer Cathy Higgins contributed to this report.

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