Tillery wins Muscogee County School Board District 2 election, unofficial results show
The four-month vacancy on the nine-member Muscogee County School Board now is filled.
Nickie Tillery defeated Bart Steed in Tuesday’s special election to succeed District 2 representative Mike Edmondson, who died in February from cancer.
With all precincts reporting, as well as the absentee mail-in and in-person early ballots, the unofficial totals show Tillery receiving 67% of the votes, 902-436. She won every precinct.
“I am grateful for everyone who came out and supported me,” Tillery told the Ledger-Enquirer. “I’m grateful they had a choice, and I’m just grateful people voted. Either one of us would have done a great job, but I’m just so thankful that it was me, and I plan on fighting for these children and for these teachers and supporting the board and the decisions. I promise you I won’t let you down.”
Steed, 63, is owner and CEO of automobile electronics company Kar Tunes. Tillery, 42, is human resources and compliance specialist for road construction contractor J.A Long.
Neither had been elected to public office. This was Steed’s third time running for a seat on the board, while Tillery is a first-time candidate. She will serve the remainder of the seat’s four-year term, which will be up for election in 2022.
The key to her victory, Tillery said, was her involvement in the community, such as St. Luke’s school and church and the Columbus High School PTSA.
“I never see a problem that I think can’t be solved, and I think people appreciate that about me,” she said. “When I try to solve a problem, I try my best to do it without offending anyone or hurting anybody’s feelings. … You can stand your ground and still compromise.”
Her priority as a board member, Tillery said, will be approving policies to help teachers “identify children where they are and really focus on their reading and their math, so that when they graduate, they have the tools that they need to succeed and provide for themselves and their future families.”
Steed called the loss “devastating” but vowed to remain involved in the community.
“My heart’s in it,” he told the L-E. “… I’ve done so much work and spent so much energy, I just believed it was my time. But it wasn’t meant to be, I guess.”
Steed serves on advisory committees in the school district, and his business has the contract to service the heating, ventilation and air conditioning on MCSD buses. The L-E reported during Steed’s 2018 campaign that the board’s code of ethics would have required him to relinquish the contract if he were elected.
Asked whether he will try a fourth time to win a seat on the board, Steed said, “It’s real doubtful.”
Precinct results
FINAL
- Tillery: 902 (67%)
- Steed: 436 (33%)
- Out of 20,013 registered voters in District 2, 1,343 (6.7%) cast a vote in this special election.
PRECINCT BREAKDOWN
For in-person voting and absentee ballots, Steed received 58 votes and Tillery 217.
Steed received one provisional ballot vote. None were cast for Tillery.
At Britt David Baptist Church, Steed received 12 total votes and Tillery 14.
- At Central Baptist Church, Steed received 195 votes and Tillery 270. One write-in vote was cast.
At Chattahoochee Valley Church of Christ, Steed received 65 votes and Tillery 99. Three write-in votes were cast.
At Wynnbrook Baptist Church, Steed received 74 votes and Tillery 266.
At Wynnbrook Baptist Church, Steed received 74 votes and Tillery 266.
This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 7:00 PM.