Advance voting begins Monday in Augusta runoffs for sheriff and judge and has already begun for a Columbia County state House seat.
As Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson called for state police to step in to handle crime after a downtown gunfight, Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree is facing a Democratic primary challenge from Deputy Marshal Eugene “Gino Rock” Brantley.
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Brantley, a former sheriff’s deputy, is challenging the three-term sheriff.
Rountree garnered 49% of votes May 21 to Brantley’s 27.8%. Third-place finisher Bo Johnson won 23%.
Voters can use one of four local sites to cast early ballots in the runoff. The hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The sites are:
- Linda W. Beazley Community Room at Augusta Municipal Building, 535 Telfair St.
- Charles Evans Community Center, 1866 Highland Ave.
- Robert Howard Community Center, 103 Diamond Lakes Way
- Warren Road Recreation Center, 300 Warren Road
Voters must use their assigned polling places on election day.
The Augusta Judicial Circuit, which is Richmond and Burke counties, has a runoff for the nonpartisan position of superior court judge. It’s for the seat held by longtime Superior Court Judge Daniel J. Craig, who is retiring at the end of 2024.
The local lawyers in the runoff include Charles Lyons, who won 43.4% of votes in the two counties May 21. His runoff contender Matt Matson garnered 30.8%, including a Burke County first-place finish with 37.8% or 1,304 votes.
In Columbia County, voters are deciding a Republican Party runoff between Paul Abbott and Rob Clifton for state House District 131.
Abbott, a school system employee, garnered 18.8% of votes May 21 to 48.8% won by Clifton, a builder.
Advance voting in the runoff is only available at the county board of elections in Building G3, 610 Ronald Reagan Drive in Evans. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
