Herring has money and endorsements, but he came in second. What makes Griggs so popular?

Despite the buzz and massive fundraising efforts from 1st Congressional District Democratic candidate Wade Herring, his opponent Joyce Griggs almost ran away with the primary.

Griggs was less than two percentage points shy from avoiding a runoff and winning the nomination outright. She won all 15 counties in the district and pulled 4,700 more votes than Herring.

For Griggs, personal relationships and name recognition in the district meant more than campaign funds. As of March 31, the end of the last election finance filing period, she had raised a little over $2,200. Considering the size of Herring's war chest - $630,000 - her success should give her confidence for the June 21 runoff.

Early voting for the runoff opened Monday, June 13. In Chatham County, the polling location is the Board of Elections office at 1117 Eisenhower Dr.

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Griggs has been the Democratic nominee for the first district twice, in 2020, and in 2002. She lost both times, to Carter and Republican Jack Kingston, respectively.

Some of her name recognition within the district likely stems from her 2020 run against Carter, where she lost 58% to 41% against the also well-funded incumbent. She lost her run against Kingston as well.

Griggs was also disbarred from practicing law in federal court for the Southern District of Georgia in 2001, then by the Georgia Supreme Court in 2004. She was denied readmission by that court in 2011.

But Griggs' supporters are resolute, and based on the results of the primary, aplenty. They like how she carries herself. They call her "a fighter," and believe she will be what she has promised on the campaign trail: a "champion for this district."

One of her primary votes cam e from Estelle Mannion, the owner of Stellar Productions Advertising. Mannion has known Griggs for years through the National Council of Negro Women’s Savannah Chapter, of which they are both lifetime members.

She says she’s voting for Griggs because she knows her to be a “woman of her word,” with the tenacity to follow through.

“Joyce does what she says she's going to do, and she is not in this just for namesake. Joyce is in this race to do work for the people of the 1st Congressional District,” Mannion said. “I believe she has the tenacity. She has the knowledge. She has the willpower. She has the energy. And she is not a phony baloney. Joyce is going to do what she says she is going to do for the people.”

Another supporter, Grover Thornton, says he respects Griggs’ military career and trusts her to carry the needs of the district to Washington D.C.

“She's a very nice lady. She's very intelligent. She held a high position in the military, lieutenant colonel, within the division of intelligence department of the Army,” Thornton said. “She's qualified.”

Can Griggs beat Carter?

Ultimately, toppling Carter is the goal of both candidates.

For Herring, Carter’s vote against the confirmation of the 2020 presidential election was the impetus for his campaign as a whole. He angles his candidacy as the best chance against Carter, and called Griggs a “demonstrated loser” shortly after the May 24 primary.

But Mannion thinks he’s got about as much of a shot as Griggs, noting that even with all that money, Herring came in second.

“With Joyce running against Wade Herring, he's got a big war chest, he's got people who have clout on his side. You don't see those people in Joyce Griggs commercials, but she won 48.8% of the vote in the primary didn't she? And she did it with little money, without the backing of the big ones,” Mannion said. “So if she did all that against all the money that was spent [on Herring] in Chatham County alone. If she can come this far, she can go the rest of the way.”

Mannion also believes in the power of faith, and the role in this election, and believes that Griggs is part of God’s plan.

“She believes she is called, and she believes she is born for this purpose. So as for her chance of going up against Buddy Carter, she's working with a Man who does not lose, God,” Mannion said.

Thornton says the Griggs-Herring contest could come down to race and voter turnout. Griggs is Black while Herring is white. Thornton said he laments that opinion and said he wishes race played less of a role in elections.

“I'm just wondering whether a lot of white people will vote for her," Thornton said. “She said she has a lot of white support now. The proof, as they say, will be in the pudding.”

Will Peebles is the enterprise reporter for Savannah Morning News. He can be reached at wpeebles@gannett.com and @willpeeblessmn on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Joyce Griggs won every county in 1st Congressional District primary