Voters in western Georgia elected a former state representative as the new state senator on Tuesday, but the race for the state House seat near Augusta is headed for a March 12 runoff.
In state Senate District 30, Republican Tim Bearden of Carrollton received a majority of votes, according to final unofficial results. Four candidates were running to replace former state Sen. Mike Dugan, who resigned to run for Congress.
In the 125th Congressional District, Columbia County Commissioner Gary Richerson (Evans) and conservative commentator CJ Pearson (Grovetown) will face off in a runoff on the same day as Georgia’s presidential primary. . They placed first and second out of five candidates.
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Bearden, 56, was elected to the state House four times before former Gov. Nathan Deal appointed him director of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. Mr. Bearden is currently a government relations manager for an advertising company.
“We are honored and humbled by the outpouring of support to make this happen,” Bearden said in a statement Tuesday night.
Bearden defeated Republicans Renae Bell (Tallapoosa) and Robert “Bob” Smith and Democrat Ashley Keskes Godwin (Carrollton). The district covers all of Haralson County and portions of Carroll, Douglas, and Paulding counties.
A person heads to the polling station during the runoff election in Atlanta on December 6, 2022. In state House District 125, Columbia County Commissioner Gary Richardson and conservative commentator CJ Pearson will face off in a runoff election on March 12, 2024. Republican Tim Bearden has been elected to represent District 30 in the State Senate. (Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Mr. Richardson and Mr. Pearson are vying to replace Republican Congressman Barry Fleming, who resigned to become a Superior Court judge. They defeated James Steed, a Grovetown Republican and farmer, Kaye Turner, a Grovetown Democrat and hairdresser, and John Terpish, a Grovetown Libertarian and software developer. The district covers parts of Columbia and McDuffie counties.
Richardson, a car wash owner, cannot run for county commission because of term limits, but he touted his experience in public service.
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“We still have ground to cover,” Mr Richardson told supporters. “You can count on my continued commitment and determination.”
Mr. Pearson won support from far-right conservatives and overcame the residency challenge while campaigning on a platform aligned with Mr. Trump. Pearson, 21, is opposed by Gov. Brian Kemp’s political group after helping run the primary campaign for Kemp’s 2022 challenger, Vernon Jones.
“Now, more than ever, our country needs a new generation of conservative leaders who will stand up to the radical left, stand up for Georgians, and fight for the next generation of Americans,” Pearson said in a statement.
