NEWTON COUNTY — Eleven votes was the hole by which a brand new District 2 commissioner was named on Tuesday night time.
Challenger Tamara Sturdy defeated incumbent Demond Mason in what is bound to be one of many closest political races in Newton County Board of Commissioners historical past.
In District 4, longtime incumbent J.C. Henderson secured one other election day victory, this time over challenger Nytravious “Nytro” Smith. Tuesday’s win implies that Henderson is ready to serve his seventh four-year time period in workplace.
Sturdy prevails over Mason
Sturdy entered the race as a relative political unknown, asserting her intentions for the seat simply two months in the past. That finally didn’t matter, as Sturdy earned 1,862 votes (50.15%), in accordance with the unofficial and incomplete election outcomes offered by the Newton County elections workplace.
Whereas Mason earned extra votes through absentee and early voting ballots, Sturdy outperformed Mason on Election Day by a 115-vote margin.
There are not any Republican challengers, which paves the way in which for Sturdy to imagine the workplace in January.
In her first feedback since profitable the election, Sturdy thanked her supporters for pushing her by the end line.
“This victory doesn’t belong to me alone; it belongs to each one who prayed, donated, volunteered, inspired, referred to as, texted, and stood beside me all through this journey,” Sturdy mentioned, partly. “Your help carried me by each problem, each lengthy day, and each second of uncertainty.”
Mason earned 1,851 votes (49.85%), simply 11 votes behind Sturdy. He has but to remark publicly following his loss.
Mason assumed the District 2 Commissioner seat in 2019 after profitable a runoff election in opposition to Earnest Simmons in June 2018. He was reelected in 2022 after incomes 70% of the vote in a four-person Democratic main and 67% within the normal election.
Voter turnout jumped considerably from 24% in 2022 to 36% this yr.
Henderson earns bid for unprecedented seventh time period in workplace
Henderson earned 1,636 votes (52.84%) by the top of Tuesday night time to maintain the excellence of the longest-serving commissioner in Newton County historical past. With no Republican challenger in November, he’s set to start his seventh time period in workplace in January.
Whereas Henderson earned the victory, it didn’t come simply.
Smith completed with 1,460 votes (47.16%), marking one of many slimmest election victories in Henderson’s lengthy profession. The 20-year-old challenger additionally overshadowed the incumbent on Election Day, incomes 639 votes to Henderson’s 547. However Henderson’s vital hole in early voting and absentee ballots proved to be an excessive amount of to beat.
Following his loss, Smith took to social media to specific his gratitude for his supporters whereas additionally offering a glimpse into his political future.
“We ran a clear race and we ran a race with integrity, and that’s all that issues to me,” Smith mentioned, partly. “We misplaced this race by 111 [sic] votes, and I’ll be again in two years. I promise y’all that.”
