Last week’s nonpartisan elections produced a lot of winners in Augusta, but none as big as Mayor Garnett Johnson.
Johnson’s push to give the city’s mayor a vote on all commission business, which could shift the commission majority to his agenda as of July 1, passed in a referendum with some 74% of votes in favor.
Johnson’s vote outpolled all the commission candidates who won their elections and won all Augusta precincts but one, in tiny Blythe. It performed best – with over 91% of the vote – in Precinct 303, a Summerville- and Forest Hills-area precinct that votes at Augusta Aquatics Center.
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According to uncertified results, the mayor’s vote had approval from more than 85% of District 3 voters at Julian Smith Casino and Covenant Presbyterian Church, from District 7 voters at St. Mark United Methodist Church and from District 1 voters who vote at Southside Baptist Church.
It had the least support, from 40% or more, at Precinct 109 which votes at May Park downtown and Precinct 608, which votes at Pine Hill Baptist Church.
Incumbent District 1 Commissioner Jordan Johnson won reelection with 55.6% of votes in the downtown district. Johnson had more than 70% of the vote at the Wallace Branch Library, Eastview Recreation Center, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, from District 1 voters from Sand Hills who vote at Covenant and at Augusta Deliverance Evangelistic Church.
Second-place District 1 finisher Matt Aitken, the former commissioner who became one of three challengers for Johnson’s seat, had his best results at Julian Smith Casino. Summerville and Country Club Hills-area voters gave Aitken just over 300 votes at Julian Smith Casino and 229 votes at Asbury United Methodist Church.
In District 3, a bone of contention during redistricting as the Summerville Historic District and fast-growing Fort Eisenhower areas attempted to stay together, incumbent Catherine Smith McKnight received 68% of votes.
She performed best with 92.2% of District 3 voters who use Augusta Aquatics Center, and at Julian Smith Casino.
Second-place District 3 finisher Carol Jones Yancy, who received 23.6% of votes, performed best at far-west Providence Baptist Church, where she had 47.7% or 589 votes.
In the night’s only big upset, District 5 incumbent Bobby Williams lost to mayor-backed Don Clark, a retired Army communications chief. Williams won five of the district’s 7 precincts but lost to Clark, who garnered 52.8% of the vote overall.
Williams won precincts voting at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Trinity CME Church, Belle Terrace Presbyterian Church and the Friedman Branch Library, but Clark won big at Sharon Baptist Church, with 64% of votes, and with 53% at Burns Memorial United Methodist Church.
Office manager Tina Slendak is the new District 7 commissioner, replacing term-limited Sean Frantom after receiving 63% of votes Tuesday. Slendak won seven of the nine precincts in the Washington Road-area district including Precinct 708, which votes at St. Mark and where she had 88.5% of the vote.
Relative newcomer Marshall Bedder won two of District 7’s precincts, with just over 50% among those voting at First Baptist Church and St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church on Wheeler Road.
Super District 9 incumbent Francine Scott received 64.3% of votes from regular districts 1, 2, 4 and 5, which make up the super district. Scott received more than 70% of the vote from District 9 voters at Asbury, Julian Smith and Augusta Aquatics Center.
Her District 9 challenger, former four-term commissioner Marion Williams, won just one precinct, with 53.2% of votes at Augusta Deliverance Evangelistic Church.
In Augusta’s other nonpartisan contest, for an Augusta Circuit superior court judgeship, two top finishers Charles Lyons and Matt Mattson head to a June 18 runoff. There is also a Democratic partisan primary runoff June 18 between Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree and challenger Eugene “Gino Rock” Brantley.
