The Republican “red wave” may not have materialized nationwide, but it was alive and well and thriving in Pierce County in the general election last Tuesday.
Republican candidates won by wide margins at Pierce County ballot boxes in the 2022 midterm election.
Herschel Walker, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, won in Pierce County with 6,325 votes (88.25 percent) followed by Incumbent Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock with 779 votes (10.87 percent) and Independent candidate Chase Oliver with 63 votes (0.88 percent).
Statewide, the Senate race was much tighter, coming down to a less than one percent difference between Walker (48.52 percent) and Warnock (49.42 percent). Since no candidate received the 50 percent plus one vote required by state law, a runoff between Walker and Warnock for the Senate Seat will take place December 6.
The runoff will be from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday December 6, at regular polling places in Pierce County including the NFC Gym in Blackshear, 705 College Avenue and Eagle Station, 3507 Williams Street, Patterson.
Early voting will begin Monday, November 28 through Friday, December 2 at the Pierce County Courthouse Annex, 312 Nichols Street, Blackshear. There will be no early voting, Monday, Dec. 5.
Early voting hours will be from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Deadline to request absentee ballots for the runoff will be Monday, November 28.
Results in other statewide races were more clear-cut, with Republican candidates sweeping all state constitutional offices locally and statewide.
Incumbent Republican candidate Brian Kemp swept the gubernatorial race in Pierce County, earning 6,462 votes (90.04 percent).
Democratic candidate Stacy Abrams earned 674 votes (9.39 percent) and Independent candidate Ryan Graham earned 66 votes (0.93 percent).
Statewide, Kemp won 53.44 percent of the vote to Abrams’ 45.85 percent.
In the race for Secretary of State, Incumbent Brad Raffensperger emerged with 6,243 of Pierce County’s votes (88.13 percent). Democratic challenger Bee Nguyen earned 622 votes (8.78 percent). Secretary of State candidate Ted Metz earned the highest number of votes of any Libertarian candidate, with 219 ballots (3.09 percent) cast in his favor from Pierce Countians.
Republican Incumbent Chris Carr was Pierce County’s pick for Attorney General with 6,357 votes (89.15 percent).Following Carr were Democrat Jennifer “Jen” Jordan (710 votes: 9.96 percent) and Libertarian Martin Cowen (64 votes: 0.90 percent).
Pierce County overwhelmingly supported Tyler Harper, its former state senator for Commissioner of Agriculture, Harper received 90.23 percent of the vote locally, even higher than Governor Kemp.
Remaining votes were split between Democrat Nakita Hemingway (640 votes: 8.95 percent) and Libertarian David Raudabaugh (59 votes: 0.82 percent).
Votes for Commissioner of Insurance favored Incumbent Republican John King (6,430: 90.27 percent). Democratic challenger Janice Laws Robinson pulled 693 votes (9.73 percent).
Pierce County residents turned out strongly in favor of Republican Incumbent Richard Woods for State School Superintendent (6,453 votes: 90.75 percent). Wood’s opponent, Democrat Alisha Thomas Searcy, earned 658 votes in Pierce County (9.25 percent).
Commissioner of Labor went to Bruce Thompson (Republican) via 6,358 votes (89.24 percent). William “Will” Boddie Jr. (Democrat) earned 686 votes (9.63 percent) and Emily Anderson (Independent) drew 81 votes (1.14 percent).
Pierce Countians turned out in force to support Republican Earl L. “Buddy” Carter’s bid for U.S. House of Representatives - District 1, giving him 6,450 (90.35 percent) votes. Wade Herring (Democrat) earned 689 votes (9.65 percent).
State Senator Russ Goodman, District 8, State Representative Steven Meeks, and Marilyn Bennett, District Attorney - Waycross Judicial Circuit, all Republicans, all ran unopposed as did local solicitor Adam Ferrell, county chairman Neal Bennett, district two representative Graham Raley and district four incumbent David Lowman.
Mark Deal won the special election to fill the Blackshear City Council Ward 6 seat left empty by the death of council member Linda Gail Dennison.
Deal won 149 votes (73.76 percent). Challenger Chris Drury earned 53 votes (26.24 percent).
All proposed amendments to the State Constitution and Statewide Referendums received majority “Yes” votes from Pierce County.
Constitutional Amendment 2 received the most support, with 6,337 “Yes” votes (91.36 percent) versus 599 “No” votes (8.64 percent). The amendment would allow local governments to offer property tax relief following disasters.
Statewide Referendum A was the most contentious, with 4,300 (62.85 percent) ““Yes” and 2,542 (37.15 percent) “No” responses from voters. The referendum will allow exemptions from property taxes for timber equipment.
A total of 7,200 out of 12,455 registered Pierce County voters (57.81 percent) cast their ballots during the midterm election.
Thats a higher number of votes than were cast in the 2018 midterm, when 6,894 Pierce Countians showed up to the polls.
However, the percentage is down from 2018, when 63.5 percent of registered voters cast their ballots.
The record for overall highest turnout was set in the 2008 presidential election when 77.4 percent of voters cast ballots.
Data based on information shared by Pierce County, Georgia Board of Elections and Registration.
