With nearly all the votes counted Tuesday night, it appeared that Columbus businessman Kip Smith has the inside track to replace his father in the Georgia General Assembly.
But the question is can Smith do it without a runoff?
Vance Smith resigned the House District 129 seat in June when he was named commissioner of the Department of Transportation. That opened the door for Tuesday’s special election.
Kip Smith, 27, was the front-runner with 98 percent of the vote counted, according to totals from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. Smith, managing partner of a real estate holding firm, had 2,207 votes or 49.5 percent of 4,461 votes that had been counted. He needed more than 50 percent to avoid a runoff in three weeks.
If there is a runoff, it appears Pine Mountain wellness center owner Steve Earles will be in it. Earles had 980 votes, or 22 percent.
Hamilton businessman and former state legislator Earl Davis had 15.1 percent and Columbus publishing consultant and radio and television talk show host Jerry Luquire had 13.4 percent.
The winner of the seat will serve one year of the two-year term. The District 129 seat will be back on the ballot next year, first in the July primaries, then in the November General Election.
The district includes parts of Muscogee, Harris and Troup counties.
Vance Smith was the district’s representative for 17 years, rising to a key leadership position in the Republican-controlled house. He was chairman of the House Transportation Committee when he resigned.
All four men seeking the seat are Republicans.
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@