Candidate Oglesby (R) Wins Runoff, Will Face Candidate Justin Richie (D) in General Election

Stephens County residents have chosen Republican candidate Craig Oglesby as the party’s choice of candidates for Post 3 on the Stephens County Board of Commissioners.

In the Republican Primary Runoff for the Post 3 Board seat, a total of 1,287 registered voters cast their vote, totaling a 6.31 percent turnout in the contest between candidate Oglesby and candidate James Addison.

In the General Primary, held in May, Republican candidate James Addison received a total of 1,925 votes, or 46% of the 4,149 votes cast in the race; Republican Candidate Craig Oglesby received a total of 1,229 votes, or 30%  of the total votes in the race; and Republican candidate Mark Marsteller received 995 votes, or 24% of the votes cast.

Under Georgia Code, Title 21, if no candidate in a race receives more than 50% of the votes cast in the race, a runoff between the candidates receiving the two highest numbers of votes must be held. 

In election results announced yesterday, Addison received 106 absentee votes, 228 votes in advance in person voting, and 101 election day votes, for a total of 435 votes, or 34% of the votes cast. Oglesby received 89 absentee votes, 464 votes in advance in person voting, and 299 election day votes, for a total of 852 votes, or 66% of the votes cast.  In the runoff election, 195, or 15 percent of voters cast their ballots by absentee, or mail in ballot, 692 or 54 percent of the ballots were cast during advance in person voting, and 400 ballots, or 31 percent of the ballots cast were completed yesterday, on election day. 

WNEG News spoke with Oglesby immediately following the announcement of the election results last night.

Oglesby added that he was looking forward to the General Election in November.

He said that he has been learning a lot about both the Stephens County community, and the position of County Commission Board member.

Oglesby will now face Democrat candidate Justin Richie in the Nov. 5 General Election. Advance in Person Voting for the Nov. 5 election will begin on October 15 and run through Nov. 1. The voter registration deadline for the General Election is October 7.

All election results are unofficial until the Stephens County Board of Elections meets this Friday and certification of the vote is completed.