Georgia runoff election 2022 results: Johnson wins Augusta mayor's race
Augusta business owner Garnett Johnson defeated former Richmond County tax commissioner Steven Kendrick to win the runoff to be the next Augusta mayor.
"My promise from day one and when I added to this race in that we're going to change this city in a positive way," Johnson told his supporters Tuesday night as he thanked them.
"We've gotta start repairing some of the relationships from this election because as you know there's a lot of noise. Your friends that are on the other side, let's start building a bridge," Johnson said. " ... because we are one Augusta, regardless of how things looked in this election. Now it's over. It's over. Let's move forward."
Garnett Johnson wins election for Mayor of Augusta
Posted by The Augusta Chronicle on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
About 19% of register voters in Richmond County went to the polls Tuesday in Georgia's primary runoff elections.
Johnson won 53.4% (13,254) to Kendrick's 46% (11,557) to replace term-limited incumbent Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis Jr.
"We all need to recognize that voters spoke of what they wanted, and what they wanted right now was seeing more of the change message that he had," Kendrick told supporters at his Central Avenue headquarters.
Kendrick told supporters he wasn't deterred by his loss but wouldn't be returning to his post as tax commissioner either. "Let me just go ahead and answer the question ... I am not going to be tax commissioner ever again," he said in his concession speech. "I will continue the work I've done with the Development Authority, the Tax Commissioner's Office and a few other things I have on the horizon as well."
Kendrick currently serves as deputy tax commissioner. He vacated his elected office earlier this year ahead of the mayoral election.
Stacy Pulliam defeated Von Pouncey in the Augusta Commission District 2 runoff race. In the Super District 10 commission race, former commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle beat incumbent John Clarke.
In Georgia, Charlie Bailey was the declared winner in the lieutenant governor runoff, with 62.7% of the vote over Kwanza Hall with 37.3%.
Bee Nguyen won the Democratic secretary of state runoff and will face incumbent Brad Raffensperger in November.
Janice Laws Robinson defeated Raphael Baker in the Democratic runoff for insurance commissioner, and William Boddie took the runoff win over Nicole Horn for labor commissioner.
ELECTION RESULTS: Race-by-race primary runoff election results
Georgia runoff election: Bailey, Nguyen secures Democrat nominations for statewide offices
Voter Turnout: Donors turned out for candidates, but votes cast in Augusta runoffs are at a trickle
Q&A Part 1: Augusta mayoral runoff candidates Steven Kendrick and Garnett Johnson
Q&A Part 2: Augusta mayoral candidates Steven Kendrick and Garnett Johnson
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: GA Election Day 2022: See live election results for Augusta area races
