In close races, two incumbent Catoosa County commissioners were defeated in the Republican primary runoff.
Steven Henry, who stepped down from the position about two years ago, was chosen Tuesday to be his party's commission chair candidate with about 52% of the vote. Political newcomer and real estate investor Richard Tharpe received nearly 53% of the vote to become the county commission District 3 Republican candidate.
Henry defeated Larry Black, a former long-serving sheriff's deputy who won a special election for chair after Henry stepped down to unsuccessfully run for state Senate, and Tharpe defeated Vanita Hullander, who was running for her second commission term after previously serving as the county's coroner for more than two decades.
(READ MORE: Catoosa County commission race focuses on taxes and growth)
The runoff drew 10.5% of active registered voters, according to a news release from Catoosa County
Henry received 2,110 votes, and Black collected 1,913. Tharpe received 704 votes, and Hullander collected 627.
The chair position is at-large, while District 3 consists of a north-central portion of Catoosa County, including Graysville and much of Ringgold.
Both Henry and Tharpe face Democratic challengers in the Nov. 5 general election.
Alex Brady, the District 3 Democratic candidate, is a software engineer, while Greg Bentley, the Democratic chair candidate, is a former Catoosa County commissioner who also served on the Fort Oglethorpe City Council.
"I'm thankful for the win," Henry said in a phone call. "It was a very hard fought election, and a strange one when you're having to fight with your own party on top of having to run a campaign. It was definitely a challenge."
Henry was one of four commission candidates the Catoosa County GOP tried to block from the ballot for not demonstrating Republican values, a claim the four disputed. The candidates sued, and though a judge allowed them on the primary ballot, the ballot-access issue is still being fought in court.
Voter apathy was at the top of Henry's list of priorities, he said. Local politics — property taxes, roads, recreation and senior programs — has the most direct effect on people's lives, but Henry said people don't want to participate and share their voice about what their wants and needs really are.
"It's kind of disheartening when you pour everything you have into running a campaign and 10% of the voters show up," he said.
Henry said he thinks new businesses could be avoiding Catoosa County because of contentious local political issues like what he calls the chicken wars and ballot access. Key issues like lowering property taxes is where the community needs to focus, he said.
Tharpe said he was thankful his message resonated with voters. He said Hullander deserves a thank you for her decades of public service.
An issue he talked about in his campaign, he said, moving citizen comments to the beginning of meetings before votes take place, was passed by the county commission Tuesday night. That's a win for citizens and the county, he said, and a small part of that, in his opinion, was his campaign's advocacy for moving the comments.
Another transparency policy change would require commission meeting agendas to be released earlier, even two weeks before votes are cast.
"More transparency for the citizens," he said. "So they feel like they have enough time and it doesn't feel like the commission is trying to push something through."
But he said he needs to get into office and learn more about the process before an earlier-released commission meeting agenda is a change he supports.
All commission members serve four-year terms, and the new commissioners assume office at the beginning of the year.
(READ MORE: Marjorie Taylor Greene wins re-election in Republican-dominated Northwest Georgia)
Also on Tuesday, a runoff election to be the U.S. House District 14 Democratic candidate saw Shawn Harris defeat Clarence Blalock to be his party's pick to take on incumbent Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in the fall. Harris, a retired Army brigadier general and rancher, received about 57% of the vote, while Blalock won about 42%.
In a phone call, Harris said he was out campaigning at a rodeo in Kennesaw. He said he was happy the people of Northwest Georgia believed in him, and credited Blalock for an outstanding campaign.
"It's all about getting all the Democrats out, independents and any Republican that's fed up with Marjorie Taylor Greene," Harris said of his priorities. "That's my focus from today all the way to November."
The Greene campaign could not be reached for comment before deadline.
The 14th Congressional District includes 10 counties in Northwest Georgia and part of Cobb County.
Contact Andrew Wilkins at awilkins@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659.