Blanton defeats Broadbent for Greene BOC District 4 seat
The votes are in, and both winners may surprise some people.
Former Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office Captain Tyler Hooks has defeated Capt. Joseph Pritchett of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office for the Republican spot on the ticket in the general election this November.
Hooks will face Democrat Derrick Reid in the general election in November.
Hooks received 1,987 votes (53.14%) to Pritchett’s 1,726 votes (46.86%). Mark Blanton defeated Steve Broadbent by a little more than 80 votes in the runoff election for the District 4 seat on the Greene County Board of Commissioners.
Blanton received 741 votes (52.89%), while Broadbent tallied 660 votes (47.11%).
According to Morgan County Elections Supervisor Jennifer Doran, Morgan County voters cast 1,796 votes during the brief early voting period for the runoff election.
“Runoffs typically have a lower turnout than a primary, so we are excited to see so many voters coming out to vote,” Doran said. With early voting and absentee ballots already returned, Morgan County had almost a 12-percent turnout before election day, Doran said.
Doran estimated that Morgan’s turnout could wind up in the neighborhood of 20 to 25 percent.
Numbers weren’t quite as good in the Greene County runoff election between Blanton and Broadbent. However, the election involved only one district, only Republican voters, and one polling place for the Old Salem precinct (Lakeside Church).
Greene County Elections Supervisor Rebecca Anglin said Greene County voters cast 658 ballots during the one-week early voting period. The district has 4,901 active voters.
According to Anglin, her office mailed a total of 53 absentee ballots, and 42 ballots had been returned by election day.
The general election will be held on Nov. 5, with early voting beginning Oct. 15. The registration deadline is Oct. 7. The earliest day to request an absentee ballot is Aug. 19.
Early voting for the general election will continue through Nov. 1. It is also available on Saturdays, Oct. 19 and Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.