Live updates: Countryman wins Muscogee sheriff’s race in Columbus’ final, certified vote count
Voters around the city Nov. 3 were met with short wait times and minimal technical issues. Unofficial vote tallies from ballots cast on Election Day, by mail and early in person were available by 11:30 p.m.
On Nov. 6, the Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration met to review provisional ballots and certify the final results.
Here are updates on the following races:
- Muscogee County Sheriff: Greg Countryman (D) vs Mark LaJoye (R)
- Georgia State House — District 134: Carl Sprayberry (D) vs Richard Smith (R; incumbent)
- Georgia State House — District 138: Marc Arnett (D) vs Mike Cheokas (R; incumbent)
- U.S. House — District 2: Sanford Bishop (D; incumbent) vs Don Cole (R)
- U.S. House — District 3: Val Almonord (D) vs Drew Ferguson (R; incumbent)
- U.S. Senate: Jon Ossoff (D), David Perdue (R; incumbent) and Shane Hazel (L)
- U.S Senate — Unexpired term
Numbers for the House and Senate races reflect only votes from Muscogee County. To see total votes, visit our elections dashboard.
Ledger-Enquirer staffers reported from LaJoye and Countryman’s election night watch parties, as well as the Muscogee County elections office.
On Nov. 6, the Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration met to review provisional ballots and certify the final results.
Here are the final, certified vote tallies.
In the presidential race, Democrat Joe Biden had 49,425 votes to Republican President Donald Trump’s 30,018.
Muscogee County Sheriff
Democrat Greg Countryman had 50,991 votes to Republican Mark LaJoye’s 27,837.
Countryman had 7,142 votes cast on Election Day; 17,440 votes cast absentee by mail; and 26,380 votes cast early in person. He got 29 provisional votes.
LaJoye had 6,021 votes on Election Day; 5,970 absentee by mail; and 15,831 votes cast early in person. He got 15 provisional votes.
Georgia State House District 134
Incumbent Republican Richard Smith had 13,446 Columbus votes to Democratic challenger Carl Sprayberry’s 8,401.
Smith had 3,045 Columbus votes cast on Election Day; 2,898 absentee by mail; and 7,499 early in person. He got four provisional votes.
Sprayberry had 1,275 Columbus votes from Election Day; 2,841 absentee by mail; and 4,284 early in person. He got one provisional vote.
Georgia State House District 138
U.S. House District 2
Incumbent Democrat Sanford Bishop had 41,271 Columbus votes to Republican challenger Don Cole’s 15,221.
Bishop had 5,646 votes cast on Election Day; 14,191 absentee by mail; and 21,291 early in person. He got 22 provisional votes.
Cole had 3,171 votes on Election Day; 3,357 absentee by mail; and 8,684 early in person. He got nine provisional votes.
Bishop, who has held the 2nd District since 1993, was declared the winner over Cole just before 10 p.m. election night.
Supporters at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites on Victory Drive in Columbus erupted when the race was officially called. Some congratulated the congressman with elbow bumps, an attempt to celebrate in the times of COVID-19. Others posed for selfies.
“To God be the glory,” Bishop said in an interview with the Ledger-Enquirer. “God blessed me with the tools and the experience to use the legislative process to deliver for the people of the 2nd Congressional District.”
Bishop went on to thank his staff and supporters for their efforts over the past nearly three decades.
“I’ve always tried to bring people together, and I try to look beyond our differences for our common goals (and) our common hope,” he said. “It’s been very difficult in this era because of the extreme partisanship and extreme polarization, but I have continued to work across the aisle.”
— Nick Wooten, nwooten@ledger-enquirer.com
U.S. House District 3
Incumbent Republican Drew Ferguson had 14,308 Columbus votes to Democratic challenger Val Almonord’s 8,088.
Ferguson had 3,151 votes cast on Election Day; 3,073 absentee by mail; and 8,074 early in person. He got 10 provisional votes.
Almonord had 1,124 votes from Election Day; 2,994 absentee by mail; and 3,965 early in person. He got five provisional votes.
U.S. Senate
Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff had 47,451 Columbus votes to incumbent Republican David Perdue’s 30,194.
Ossoff had 6,498 votes from Election Day; 16,348 absentee by mail; and 24,577 early in person. He got 28 provisional votes.
Perdue had 6,417 votes on Election Day; 6,599 absentee by mail; and 17,160 early in person. He got 18 provisional votes.
Libertarian Shane Hazel’s Columbus tally was 1,766, and no candidate statewide got more than 50 percent of the vote, so Ossoff and Perdue will face each other in a Jan. 5 runoff.
U.S. Senate Unexpired Term
Among the leading contenders in Georgia’s special election for the U.S. Senate, Democrat Raphael Warnock had 32,517 Columbus votes to incumbent Republican Kelley Loeffler’s 15,295 and Republican Doug Collins’ 12,531.
Warnock had 3,615 votes on Election Day; 12,204 absentee by mail; and 16,606 early in person. He got 18 provisional votes.
Loeffler had 3,101 votes from Election Day; 3,489 absentee by mail; and 8,699 early in person. She got six provisional votes.
Collins had 2,500 votes on Election Day; 2,819 absentee by mail; and 7,205 early in person. He got seven provisional votes.
No candidate statewide got more than 50 percent of the vote, so Warnock and Loeffler will face each other in a Jan. 5 runoff.
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 7:14 PM.