Lonnie Wimberly took the oath of office Monday as Augusta’s new District 4 commissioner after winning the Nov. 4 special election to fill the unexpired term of former Commissioner Alvin Mason, who resigned in June.
Supporters described Wimberly as a steady, service-driven leader shaped by decades in uniform and in city government. A retired Army command sergeant major, he spent more than 30 years in the military and over two decades as an Augusta employee. He defeated Interim Commissioner Tanya Barnhill-Turnley in the special election.
Introducing him, Richmond County Neighborhood Association Alliance President Octavia Collins said Wimberly’s record “speaks for itself.”
“He has proven his commitment to public service throughout his career,” Collins said. A past president of RCNAA and the Walton Farms neighborhood association, Wimberly has long been active in neighborhood advocacy. “His dedication to serving his community is clear,” she said. “I am confident he will serve in his new role as District 4 commissioner with dignity and integrity.”
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She said his priorities include economic development, infrastructure upgrades and transparency.
Rev. Anthony Booker said Wimberly is “committed to the flourishing of every single neighborhood in Augusta.”
State Sen. Harold Jones, who has known Wimberly for about 23 years, shared stories of his loyalty and work ethic. Wimberly helped him on a campaign before they really knew each other and “worked just as hard as he worked for anything,” Jones said. After Jones won his Senate seat, it was Wimberly who drove him to see his ailing father and who was with him when his father transitioned.
“I know he’ll do a great job for the people of District 4,” Jones said. Wimberly can seem a little gruff, but “it’s just the sergeant major in him,” he said.
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Jones said District 4’s choice reflects a “maturity” in the electorate. “They’re not looking for aesthetics; they’re looking for substance,” he said.
Wimberly thanked his wife, Yong, calling her “my rock, my constant and my greatest source of strength,” and said her “love, patience and believing in me has carried me every step through this journey.”
He thanked local officials who endorsed him — Jones, former Rep. Gloria Frazier, Commissioner Francine Scott, Booker and others — and praised supporters whose work “knocking on doors, making calls, standing on corners and lifting me up when the road got rough made this victory possible.”
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“Thank you for lending your name, your voice, your credibility to this cause,” he said. “It was not taken lightly it meant a lot.”
To Jones, he added, “your friendship over the years means more to me than most will ever know.”
To Augusta Circuit Superior Court Judge Charles Lyons, who administered his oath, Wimberly said he sought him out: “Other than you I thought of no one,” he said.
