While the vote totals haven't been certified yet, it is clear that the race for the chairman's seat on the Hall County Commission was a close one.
Hall County Elections Office officials reported just 215 votes separated Richard Higgins and Steve Gailey, with Higgins emerging the winner in the two-man GOP primary; there is no Democratic opposition for the post in November.
Higgins garnered 5,537 votes (51%) to Gailey's 5,322 (49%).
Higgins said he and Gailey kept their campaigns above-board.
"I think both candidates ran a good race - a good, clean race," Higgins said.
He also said he thinks his past experience as chairman of the Hall County School Board has prepared him to serve on the County Commission.
"It's a big job, but I feel like I'm ready for it. I was chairman of the school board for 11 years, and I think that's prepared me for this position," said Higgins.
Incumbent Powell returned to commission; incumbent Stowe wins, faces Democrat challenger
Hall County Commissioner Billy Powell will return to the board for another term after winning his re-election bid in Tuesday's General Primary. Powell took 2.099 votes (55.6%) in the race to Eugene Moon's 1,679 votes (44.4%). The win makes Powell the longest-serving commissioner ever on the Hall County Board.
Commissioner Jeff Stowe defeated his GOP challenger Troy Phillips for the District 4 seat, but he has opposition in the November election. Democrat Angela Middleton had no opposition in the primary. Stowe won 869 votes (58.17%), while Phillips won 627 (41.9%).
According to the Hall County Elections website, only 16.36% of Hall County's 80,503 registered voters cast ballots in the General Primary.
