When all the votes were tallied and the results finally released by the Polk County Board of Elections after the 2020 GOP and Democratic primaries, the voice of the people was clear as incumbents were returned to office in local races, and others will require an August vote.

Commissioners Scotty Tillery and Chuck Thaxton, representing District 1 and 2, will both return for a new four year term in office after defeating primary challengers for office, and facing no opposition on the ballot come the November race.

Tillery took the District 1 Republican Primary vote 5,478 to 1,533 over James Vines in the combined primaries that concluded on the evening of June 9. He thanked voters in a statement he made in the days following the vote.

“I am both humbled and honored that Polk County had placed their confidence and support in me when re-electing me as their County Commissioner.
I love Polk County and I will continue to work hard in making our sweet county the best it can be,” he said. “My position is not about me, it is all about the fine people of Polk County. I love and appreciate each and everyone and I will work hard to protect and be their voice in every decision I make. I would like to thank my wife, children, family, and friends for their unending love and support, but mostly I thank God. It is with him that I will continue to serve the people.”

In District 2, Thaxton defeated Glenn Robinson in the GOP primary, and will also not face a challenger come the November regular election. Thaxton carried a majority over Robinson with 4,059 votes to 2,799. He said he will continue to work hard in the years to come to represent his district and the County as a whole.

“I would like to thank the voters of Polk County for trusting in me to continue to represent them. I would also like to thank my wife and family for their understanding and support during this election,” Thaxton said. “I look forward to working to make Polk County an even safer more prosperous place to live. As a person who was born and raised in Polk County, I only want the best for its citizens.”

He won’t face a challenger in November, but District 2 will potentially have a competitive race this fall as Commissioner Linda Liles will have to run in a special election to retain her seat.

One other local race that won’t be contested this fall after a Primary Day win is that of who will take over the Probate Court in 2021. Current Polk County Coroner Tony Brazier will be taking over the seat after defeating Bobby Brooks in the June vote. Brazier carried the seat 3,646 to Brooks’ 3,340 votes.

Brazier thanked voters for the opportunity to continue to serve in the public in the years to come with his new role on the bench.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the great people of Polk County not only for their votes and support but also for their confidence and trust placed in me to serve them faithfully in the Polk County Probate Court. My promise to them is that I will serve them faithfully and with the greatest respect to them and our great county. It was a long and challenging campaign, especially in the presence of a Viral Pandemic,” his statement read. “This made campaigning quite difficult for not just our’s but for every candidate’s campaign. But, we adapted & we overcame the problem and managed to reach out to the voters, just in unique and safer ways. Our primary focus shifted from obtaining our votes to make sure that the voters of our great county were protected and safe from the Corona Virus.”

“Our campaign also sought to assist the people by insisting that those with health concerns utilize Absentee Ballots to ensure their safety and the safest ever Early Voting Process that I’ve ever seen. Even the day of our Primary Elections, or Voter Elections Personnel kept infection protection precautions in place, so as to protect each of us as we cast our ballots. My hat is off to those folks – they’re awesome,” his statement continued. “Finally, let me thank all of my staffers who worked so hard on my campaign, I want to thank every citizen of our wonderful home of Polk County, our news media family, the Polk Standard Journal, WZOT-WPLK, and WGAA for their excellence in reporting on the primary and in my race, I’d like to thank my competitor, Mr. Bobby Brooks, whom I’ve known a very long time and who ran a good clean race and thank you to my family, friends, and co-workers who put up with me during this historic time. Polk County, I love each and every one of you and I’m ready to continue to serve you as I have done since the late 1970s. May God Bless each of you and this county that we all call home.”

Two races that Polk County GOP voters will have to return to the polls to decide this August will be for the State Senate District 31 primary, and the District 14 U.S. House Seat race.

In the State Senate GOP primary, two of the four candidates – both of Paulding County – garnered enough votes district-wide to head to a run-off vote. Boyd Austin and Jason Anavitarte both received 2,703 and 2,097 votes respectively locally, and 11,915 and 10,639 votes district-wide to make it to the next round. The beat out Robert “Bobby” Mehan and Bobby Wilson of Haralson County to represent the Republicans in the 2020 election fo the seat.

Anavitarte and Austin face a Democratic challenger in the fall, Tianna Smith of Paulding County, who ran in the primary unopposed.

The GOP primary for the 14th District to replace retiring Congressman Tom Graves is also bound for an August run-off after Marjorie Greene and Dr. John Cowan split the majority of the vote in a crowded field. Greene took 2,734 of the votes and Cowan 2,152 locally, and district-wide went 43,889 and 22,862 respectively.

In one more local race of import, State Rep. Trey Kelley will head to a November challenge for his seat after defeating former Commissioner Jennifer Hulsey in the June 9 primary. Kelley took the race 4,475 to 2,672 locally, and districtwide 6,300 to 3,574.

He’ll face Lyndsay Arrendale on the November ballot after she ran unopposed as a democrat in the primary.

Several positions were secured during qualifying when no challengers signed up to face incumbents back in March.

That includes Tallapoosa Circuit District Attorney Jack Browning, Polk County’s Clerk of Superior Court Stacie Baines, Superior Court Judge Mark Murphy, and Polk County Sheriff Johnny Moats. Three school board members: J.P. Foster, Kristy Gober and Chris Culver, all retain their seats for a new term starting in 2021 as well.

Starting in new jobs next January are Coroner-elect Norman Smith and future Tax Commissioner Amanda Beck Lindsey, who is taking over for a retiring Kathy Cole.