Davis pitted in runoff against Mapp
Nov. 23—Oscar Davis Jr. and Shonya Mapp are in a runoff election for the District 5 seat on Milledgeville City Council.
A runoff election is needed between the two top vote recipients because neither of them collected more than 50% of the vote necessary to win the election outright.
The winner of the Tuesday, Dec. 6, race will assume the District 5 seat that was held by Richard "Boo" Mullins Jr. for more than 20 years. The retired firefighter captain died earlier this year.
A victory by Davis in the upcoming runoff election, which gets underway with early voting this Saturday, would assure that city council would remain equally balanced with three city aldermen and three city alderwomen. Should Mapp come out victorious, it would mean a shift to a majority of women leading city government for the first time in the city's rich history.
The 72-year-old Davis, who was raised in Milledgeville, said he knows and understands the people of District 5 better than anyone.
"Those are the people I've pretty much known most of my life," Davis said in a recent interview.
Although he's never served in political office, he once ran against Mullins for the same seat he is seeking.
Davis has been around the political arena all of his life. He was once a political advisor to the late Thomas Smith, who served as sheriff of Washington County for several years.
"I've been around politics all of my life and I understand it," Davis said. "I also understand a lot of the issues facing Milledgeville."
Both of his parents, Oscar Davis Sr. and Geneva Bell Davis, and currently one of his sisters, Emily, have all held the same seat on the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners.
Davis said he learned a lot about politics from watching and listening to his parents.
If elected to the city council, Davis said he will listen to the people's needs and then report those needs to members of city council to see whether anything could be worked out to help residents with their requests.
"I want to be a city councilman who listens first to his constituents and then takes that information back to my fellow city council members to see if there is anything that can be done for those I serve in my district," said Davis.
Davis said he prides himself in being able to reach out to people from all walks of life.
"I know how to talk to people of all ages and races," Davis said. "I have no problem communicating with people."
He believes it's a gift.
"I want the people of District 5 to know that their concerns are my concerns," Davis said. "I want them to know that I want them to know that I will be there to help them in any way that I can."
Davis he believes he can hit the ground running.
"I know about a lot of things that's been going on in the city and what I don't know about, I can learn and get caught up on," Davis said.
Davis once worked as a firefighter at Central State Hospital before he was drafted into the Army where he was deployed to Vietnam at age 19. He had a decorated military career.
After he returned to Milledgeville following his military duty, Davis attended Georgia Military College where he studied criminal justice.
He operated a liquor store for several years and later became a corrections officer with the Georgia Department of Corrections. He left that position with the rank of a sergeant.
Davis was a star football player with a semi-pro football team known as the Macon Chiefs, whom he played with for four years.
He attended Boddie High School In Milledgeville.
Davis later worked as a funeral home director at People's Funeral Home for 30 years.
"I got to know even more people than I already knew in the funeral home business," Davis said.
He is a member of the American Legion Post No. 523 and is a Prince Hall Mason.
Davis said he wants to remind the voters of District 5 of how important it is to get out and vote during early voting, as well as on Election Day.
"I want all eligible voters to know how important their vote is in this special runoff election," Davis said. "I want to thank those who have supported me up to this time and ask them to support me again with their vote in this runoff."
