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Republican Michael Bennett and incumbent R.C. Oglesby appear to be heading to a runoff election in the contest for the District 1 seat on the Hart County Board of Commissioners as Karen Martin has secured her first full term as Hart County tax commissioner, according to preliminary election results with all local precincts reporting.
Hart County restaurants will also soon be able to sell liquor by the drink and property owners older than 65 will be able to take an extra $5,000 in their homestead exemption for county property taxes, according to preliminary results.
Republicans swept the local vote in national and statewide contests led by President Donald Trump taking Hart County in a landslide as votes around Georgia and the rest of the country continued to be counted Wednesday morning.
DISTRICT 1
Bennett earned 32.36 percent of the vote with 563 ballots cast in his favor to Oglesby’s 530 votes, or 30.46 percent of the vote.
Both men defeated Democrat David Cook, who took 26.78 percent of the vote, and independent James Fulghum, who garnered 10.4 percent.
If preliminary numbers hold, Oglesby — who hasn’t been to a county commission meeting in nearly a year after taking a voluntary suspension as a condition of his bond following his arrest and subsequent indictment on charges of allegedly operating an organized crime scheme with several of his family members — will face Bennett in a runoff on Dec. 1.
TAX COMMISSIONER
Martin took 9,437 votes, or 80.19 percent compared to Goss’ 2,331, or 19.81 percent, according to preliminary numbers, earning her first full term as Hart County Tax Commissioner since taking over in January after former tax commissioner Burle Pierce retired.
STATE HOUSE
Republican state Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, will serve another term in Atlanta after taking 80.74 percent of the vote to defeat opponent, Democrat Alisha Allen, who earned 19.26 percent of the vote.
REGION, STATE
& NATION
In statewide and regional elections, Republicans ruled the day in Hart County as David Perdue handily defeated Jon Ossoff with 75.25 percent of the vote to Ossoff’s 23.14 percent.
With two counties still yet to report in Georgia as of Wednesday morning’s press deadline, Perdue appeared to be heading to a second term in office winning statewide with 51.01 percent of the vote to Ossoff’s 46.68 percent. Libertarian Shane Hazel earned 2.3 percent of the vote.
Former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, R-9th District from Gainesville, took the Hart County vote in the “jungle” special election to replace the retired Johnny Isakson, beating incumbent Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed to replace Isakson, with 54.51 percent of the vote to Loeffler’s 16.8 percent. Democrat Raphael Warnock led the rest of the field in Hart County with 10.53 percent of the vote in Hart County.
It appears Collins will miss the runoff election that will result from the statewide contest with more than 20 candidates. Loeffler earned 26.55 percent of the vote statewide and Warnock led all candidates with 31.74 percent statewide.
Republican Andrew Clyde defeated Democrat Devin Pandy locally with 76.62 percent of the Hart County vote to Pandy’s 23.38 percent for the bid to replace Collins as the U.S. representative for Georgia’s 9th District.
Districtwide looked similar with Collins taking the House seat with 79.26 percent of the vote to Pandy’s 20.74 percent.
Hart County resoundingly voted in favor of President Donald Trump, giving him 74.68 percent of their vote to Democrat challenger Joe Biden’s 24.56 percent. Results nationally were still being tallied Wednesday and no winner had been announced as of press time.
LOCAL MEASURES
Hart voters also chose to allow restaurants operating outside the Hartwell city limits to sell liquor by the drink by voting in favor of the measure 71.8 percent to 28.52 percent votes to the contrary.
Additionally, property owners over the age of 65 will soon be able to exempt $5,000 more from their taxable property values from Hart County property taxes. Voters cast 80.09 percent of their ballots in favor of the exemption increase and 19.91 percent against.
AMENDMENTS
& REFERENDUMS
Two constitutional amendments and one statewide referendum also passed in Hart County. One amendment authorizes the state legislature to dedicate tax or fee revenue to the public purpose for which the taxes or fees were imposed.
The other waives the state’s sovereign immunity and allows people to seek declaratory relief from state or local laws that violate the state constitution.
The referendum that passed in Hart County exempts from property taxes property owned by a 501(c)(3) public charity if the property is owned exclusively for the purpose of building or repairing single-family homes and the charity provides interest-free financing to the individuals purchasing the home.