Democrats outvote Republicans as Macon-Bibb voters pick school board, water authority seats

More than 28,000 voters participated in this week’s election, accounting for just over 27% of all registered voters in Bibb County.

Democrats came out in stronger numbers Tuesday, casting 8,000 more ballots than their Republican neighbors.

Lisa Garrett-Boyd and Amy Morton will hold the county’s at-large board of education seats, while Frank Patterson and Gary Bechtel will return to the Macon Water Authority.

Patterson was reelected to the seat he’s held for nearly 20 years with 50.5% of the vote, and he said he hopes to maintain the viability of the authority. He won one of three water authority seats on the ballot.

“I still got some fire left in my body,” he said.

Elaine Lucas ran unopposed for the District 1 seat while the District 2 seat will head to a runoff between Ron Lemon and Marshall Talley. That contest will be held June 16.

Morton, who received nearly 15,000 votes, said she was relieved that she won. She will join the board at a critical moment for the Bibb County School District’s finances.

She said she wants to start by looking at ways to control expenses “across the board,” such as travel or the central office, before even considering a tax increase.

“We have to look at reasonable measures the board can take to control costs,” she said. “We have to look at what we can do as a system and as a community to continue to serve our students at the highest possible level.”

Morton’s opponent, Kerry Hatcher, lost with 39.7% of the vote. Hatcher said he felt like he succeeded in what he set out to do — getting people to talk about the issues facing the school district.

“The fact that I got that close says that there’s a real groundswell of people who think that what I had to offer makes sense,” he said.

Garrett-Boyd will enter her final term of eligibility on the school board, where she said she will focus on reducing absenteeism, improving literacy and postgraduate outcomes.

“We don’t do it by ourselves; it takes parents, it takes leaders … all the community to come together and strengthen our school system,” she said.

Former State Sen. John Kennedy, R-Macon, will also head to a runoff in the lieutenant governor race against State Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming. Kennedy vacated his seat in December ahead of the race.

His successor, Steven McNeel, R-Macon, who won a special election in February to fill the Middle Georgia state senate spot, won again on election day with more than 90% of the vote in the Republican primary. He does not have a Democrat challenger.

Incumbent Miriam Paris, D-Macon, garnered 74.6% of votes in the Democratic primary to beat out George Thomas for a Middle Georgia state representative’s seat. She will face Republican Calvin Palmer in November.

For full vote tallies from Bibb County, go to maconmelody.com.