Election Day 2020: And the winners are…

Largely due to COVID-19, very little about the year 2020 has been ordinary. The onset of the potentially deadly disease changed life, as we knew it, in almost every way. From the way we dine to the way we worship and from the way children do education to the way adults do work—all of it changed. COVID even altered the way many voters—Houston County residents, in particular—casted their ballots.

Yes, COVID changed how people voted, but it didn’t stop them from voting.

More voters than ever before opted to support their candidates of choice by absentee ballots, while a record-breaking number of others endured the early voting lines day after day. Up until the very end—November 3, Election Day 2020—voters made sure their voices were heard.

This year’s local races for office were some of the most nail-biting ever. Every voter had his or her favorite, but to guess who the clear winners would be before the final tally was complete would have been difficult even for the best predictor.

At campaign watch parties around Houston County, candidates and their supporters waited—mostly impatiently—for the final votes to be counted and the official announcements to be made. Some campaign races had been heated. Some campaign practices had been questioned. Some campaign claims had been controversial. With so many names listed on the ballots and so many seats hanging in the balance, all the efforts of candidates and their supporters came down to one final count on Tuesday evening.

As with most elections, some of the outcome was projected and anticipated. Others, however, were unexpected surprises. Unofficial results indicate election winners of some of the most anticipated races were as follows:

•United States Senate: David Purdue (R-Incumbent)

•State Senate from District 20: Larry Walker (R-Incumbent)

•State Representative from District 147: Heath Clark (R-Incumbent)

•District Attorney: George Hartwig (R-Incumbent)

•Superior Court Clerk: Carolyn V. Sullivan (R-Incumbent)

•County Commissioner District 5: Mark Byrd (R-Incumbent)

Many of the races around Houston County were too close to call until the very late hours of election night when more than 90% of the precincts had finally reported their numbers. Some of the candidates expressed a sense of relief as the poll reporting came to a close and it became clear that they would be named the winner.

“I feel so relieved,” said Carolyn Sullivan. “I know my employees have been stressed about it because it’s their livelihood at stake. They love their jobs and they don’t want to leave.”

Almost all of the candidates had watch parties of some sort—some larger than others. During some of which, hopes were dashed as the final numbers rolled in. Still, the citizens of middle Georgia spoke loud and clear through their record numbers at the polls. Every voter allowed their voice to be heard, and whether their candidate won or not, the echoes of those voters’ voices will be heard for days—maybe even months—to come.

In a brief statement from a joint GOP watch party held in Warner Robins, Representative Heath Clark seemed to agree. “I want to thank everyone who voted for me. I even want to thank those that didn’t vote for me. They got out today and expressed votes, and I appreciate that.”

HHJ News