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July 15, 2008

Bloodsworth wins Wilcox primary; Williams loses BOE seat

Anonymous The Cordele Dispatch Tue Jul 15, 2008, 11:27 PM EDT

From STAFF REPORTS

Voters in Crisp and Dooly counties and across the state turned out in moderate numbers Tuesday to determine party candidates for a number of local races.

Wilcox County, however, saw voter turnout of 52.1 percent, with much of the turnout driven by the Democratic primary race for sheriff.

Incumbent Stacy Bloodsworth won that race outright with 1,171 votes, or 60.45 percent of the vote. The results do not include provisional, absentee or early-voting ballots, but those numbers are projected to be nominal.

Mike Martin finished second in the Wilcox Democratic Sheriff’s race with 424 votes cast, or 21.89 percent of the vote. Bob Addison took 342 votes, or 17.66 percent.

Bloodsworth will face opposition in November from Republican candidate Doug Crawford.

In Dooly County, there was a voter turnout of almost 30.7 percent, with 1,621 total votes cast Tuesday.

Incumbent Tax Commissioner Faye Jones Mixon won re-election overwhelmingly in the Democratic primary, taking 890 votes, or 70.24 percent, compared to challenger Greg Gambrell’s 377 votes, or 29.76 percent. Mixon will not face opposition in November’s general election.

In the Dooly Commission Democratic race for District 2, James Ray Irwin was another overwhelming victor, capturing 213 votes, or 75 percent, compared to Clay Mercer’s 71 votes. Irwin will face off in November with incumbent Terrell Hudson, who is running as an independent.

In the special election for Vienna mayor, Emerson Lundy, Sr. and Willie Davis are headed for a runoff election, as none of the three candidates took a majority of the 592 votes cast.

Lundy took 223 votes compared to Davis’ 200, while third-place candidate Mike Roper took 169 votes.

As in Wilcox County, Dooly County’s vote totals do not include provisional, absentee, or early-voting ballots, which were not tabulated as of presstime.

In Crisp County, the Democratic race for chief magistrate judge was the closest of the four contested local primary races. Stephen Ingram won that race with 594 votes, or 53.9 percent, compared to Amy Lapeza’s 507 votes, or 46.1 percent. Ingram will succeed retired Chief Magistrate Pete Pfeiffer.

The Democratic race for Crisp County Commission District 2, Post 1 was not as close. Billy White won with 505 votes, or 66.6 percent compared to Antwion Yowe’s 253 votes, or 33.4 percent. White will move on to face Republican opponent Wallace Mathis in November.

The Democratic race for the Crisp County Board of Education’s Cordele District seat saw Erskine Weaver holding that slot with 693 votes, or 59.1 percent, compared to challenger Benita Yowe’s 480 votes, or 40.9 percent of the vote.

On the Republican ballot, Allen Musselwhite defeated incumbent Colon Williams for the Crisp County Board of Education’s West Crisp District seat. Musselwhite took 795 votes, or 57.5 percent, compared to Williams’ 588 votes, or 42.5 percent.

Local Crisp election results reported here reflect all of the precincts reporting save absentee ballots. Crisp County voter turnout was projected at 28.4 percent.

Check Thursday’s issue of the Dispatch for more news on these and other primary election races.