Meet the winners of the primary election for Chatham County's six Georgia House seats

This year, all six of Chatham's House representatives were up for re-election in the general primary, though only three drew contested races.

The Democratic winners for districts 162 and 163 were called.

Seats for districts 161 and 164 will ultimately be decided in the November 8 general election.

House reps craft new bills and vote on statewide measures. The Chatham County delegation, made up of the six state representatives and two state senators, also has the power to approve local bills that do not have to go to a General Assembly vote.

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Take a closer look at the winners of each race below:

Georgia House District 161

Republican incumbent Bill Hitchens has served the 161st district since 2013. Since no other Republican entered the race, he will face off against Democrat Margo Barbee, a retired social work administrator, in the November 8 general election.

Georgia House District 162

Incumbent Carl Gilliard will most likely secure the district 162 house seat as he's pulling ahead with 88% of the vote and with 94% of the ballots in. His only opponent in the Democratic primary was Fredrick Praylo, making Gilliard the presumptive winner of the race.

Gilliard has served the 162nd district since 2016. His career experience includes working as the pastor of the Miracle Christian Life Center for six years and as the president of the Georgia Coastal Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

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Gilliard was also instrumental in the passage of several bills such as the landmark legislation House Bill 750, the Chatham County Legislative Gang Prevention and Intervention Commission. More recently, in the 2021 legislative session, Gilliard co-sponsored the repeal of Georgia’s citizen’s arrest law.

The state legislator's focus for the next term includes establishing the Georgia Cold Case Project or House Bill 155, which will address unresolved historic lynchings and related matters, reads the bill's text. Gilliard also re-emphasized his support for a high-speed rail system connecting Savannah to Atlanta, as well as better local transportation for Chatham County.

Gilliard saw changes within his district after last year's redistricting process, so getting to know his new constituents is also at the top of his list.

"I'm looking forward to traveling around the district and listening to what the people’s concerns are and to be able to build those bridges," said Gilliard, "I want to be able to work across party lines ... the good challenge is getting to know them."

Georgia House District 163

Anne Allen Westbrook won her bid for the Georgia House, defeating Weslyn Bowers in Tuesday's Democratic primary. Westbrook won with 61% of the vote, making the district 163 seat the tightest state house race this season.

Westbrook is the presumptive winner of the seat, as no Republicans entered the race.

Her win comes two years after losing the runoff against Derek Mallow by 19 votes. This cycle, Mallow is running for the Senate District 2 seat left vacant by Lester Jackson instead. The District 163 race was the only house seat without an incumbent vying to secure their post.

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Westbrook ran on a platform of gun violence prevention, expanding access to health care, ending Georgia’s maternal mortality crisis and expanding quality public education. The Savannah native served as a legislative aid to Georgia House 165 Rep. Edna Jackson (D-Savannah) and has been an attorney at Johnson Kraeuter, LLC since 2013.

Westbrook is also known for her on-the-ground work regarding gun safety, having worked as the legislative point person for the Georgia chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

As a newcomer to the General Assembly, Westbrook said she will be looking to her mentors, such as Edna Jackson and other house representatives, for guidance.

Westbrook's previous bid for the house seat took place in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting a multitude of challenges. This campaign season, Westbrook said she was able to better connect with district 163 constituents. The district covers the most central swath of the city of Savannah.

"I have had a great experience getting to know the district over the campaign and I can't wait to continue that," said Westbrook, "I just look forward to listening more and serving this great and very diverse district."

Georgia House District 164

Incumbent Ron Stephens successfully challenged newcomer Chasity Pawvlik in Tuesday’s Republican primary, having won 89% of the vote. He will face off in the Nov. 8 general election against Democrat Marcus Thompson.

Stephens is the chairman of the Chatham County Delegation and has served in the 164th district since his first bid for the house seat in 1997. The long-time state representative is also a member of the Appropriations, Rules and Ways and Means Committees, and chairs the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee.

Before being elected to the House, he served as a council member for Garden City. Stephens has worked as a pharmacist for 38 years.

Stephens's priorities as a legislator will continue to center on public safety, as well as, making sure Chatham County and the surrounding area does well economically.

"As chairman of the Economic Development Committee, it's about continuing to keep our state number one in the country for business, looking at current incentive packages and how we can do better to compete against other states," said Stephens.

Georgia House District 165

Democratic incumbent Edna Jackson faced no opposition.

Georgia House District 166

Republican incumbent Jesse Petrea faced no opposition.

Nancy Guan is the general assignment reporter covering Chatham County municipalities. Reach her at nguan@gannett.com or on Twitter @nancyguann.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Who won GA primary for Chatham County state house representatives?