Wilkes County Casts Ballots in State Primary Runoff
June 16 General Primary Runoff
(WILKES COUNTY, Ga.) – Wilkes County voters favored Republican candidates Mike Collins and Burt Jones in the June 16 General Primary Runoff, with election night results showing Republicans turning out in significantly larger numbers than Democrats in the statewide contests on the ballot.
In the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate, Collins carried Wilkes County with 512 votes, or 64.9 percent, defeating Derek Dooley, who received 277 votes. Collins won the county by a margin of 235 votes.
Burt Jones also posted a strong performance in the Republican gubernatorial runoff, defeating Rick Jackson 472 votes to 321. Jones received 59.5 percent of the vote in Wilkes County.
The Republican lieutenant governor contest was more competitive. Greg Dolezal narrowly defeated John F. Kennedy by a 422-354 margin, capturing 54.4 percent of local votes cast.
Among Democrats, Josh McLaurin edged Nabilah Parkes in the lieutenant governor runoff, winning 170 votes to 147. Penny Brown Reynolds carried Wilkes County in the Democratic secretary of state race with 219 votes, defeating Dana Barrett, who received 98 votes.
Republican voters overwhelmingly favored Tim Fleming for secretary of state. Fleming received 491 votes, defeating Vernon Jones, who finished with 262 votes.
In the Democratic race for insurance commissioner, Keisha Sean Waites defeated DeAndre Mathis by a 217-98 margin. Nikki Porcher also carried Wilkes County in the Democratic labor commissioner runoff, receiving 195 votes to Michelle Michi Sanchez’s 118.
Wilkes County Republicans backed incumbent Richard Woods in the state school superintendent runoff. Woods received 414 votes, defeating Fred “Bubba” Longgrear, who earned 338 votes.
In the Public Service Commission District 5 Republican runoff, Josh Tolbert defeated Bobby Mehan by a 435-266 margin, winning nearly 62 percent of the vote.
The closest contest on the local ballot was the Democratic runoff for Georgia’s 12th Congressional District. Traci “Acree” George received 137 votes, narrowly defeating Ceretta Smith, who received 118 votes.
Overall turnout was strongest in the Republican statewide contests, with nearly 800 ballots cast in the Senate and governor runoffs. All Wilkes County precincts reported complete election night results.
Election at a Glance
Total ballots cast countywide: 1,309
Republican ballots cast: 888
Democratic ballots cast: 421
Highest-turnout precinct: Courthouse (590 ballots)
Second-highest turnout: Edward B. Pope Center (418 ballots)
Tignall School Lunch Room: 188 ballots
Rayle City Hall: 113 ballots
The Courthouse precinct accounted for approximately 45 percent of all ballots cast in the county, while Republican voters represented nearly 68 percent of total primary turnout.