Runoffs for 3 Local Races; Forsyth Schools Bond Measure Approved

Tuesday’s primary saw three local Forsyth races headed for a July 22 runoff.

See here for more on statewide races, and for results of Forsyth races, see here.

The race for District 22 state House, District 27 state Senate and Forsyth County solicitor general could not be decided as almost 22 percent of the county’s 105,033 registered voters cast a ballot in the primary.

In the District 27 state Senate race, incumbent Jack Murphy tallied 37.5 percent of the vote, followed by Republican challenger Michael Williams with 34.5 percent. Lauren McDonald III finished with about 28 percent of the vote.

A Democrat is not in the race, so either Murphy or Williams will win the seat. 

There is also no Democrat in the State House District 22 race, where Rep. Sam Moore did not make the July runoff. Moore, who was only sworn into office in February following the passing of Calvin Hill, finished behind Wes Cantrell (38 percent of the vote) and Meagan Biello (31.79 percent). Moore finished with 30.21 percent, just 124 votes behind Biello.

Incumbent Donna Gopaul and Bill Finch finished 1-2 in the GOP primary for Forsyth County solicitor general. With no Democrats running, the winner of the runoff will win the post.

Gopaul garnered 41.1 percent of vote, followed by Finch (31.4 percent), and Susan Zereini (27.5 percent).

U.S. Rep. Doug Collins defeated Bernard Fontaine in the 9th District Republican primary and will face Democrat David Vogel in November’s general election. 

District 24 state Rep. Mark Hamilton of Cumming and fellow Republican, District 26 state Rep. Geoff Duncan, also were re-elected on Tuesday. 

In the race for Forsyth County commission District 3, Republican incumbent Todd Levent won re-election with 64 percent of the vote, compared to David Hole’s 36 percent. Like the District 1 post, where Commissioner Pete Amos faced no opposition on Tuesday to secure another term, there are no Democrats running in District 3.

Sixty-four percent of county voters also backed a $195 million education bond on Tuesday that will help increase security, technology infrastructure and address school overcrowding by updating and adding new classrooms. 

And incumbent Forsyth County Board of Education member Ann Crow avoided a runoff by garnering 56 percent of the vote in the three-person Republican primary to win another term to represent District 1. District 2 incumbent Kristin Morrissey ran unopposed to win a second term.