Incumbent Fulton County Commissioner Emma Darnell defeated Bill Edwards in the Democratic primary election for Commission District 6 Tuesday, according to unofficial results available early Wednesday morning.
No Republican is running in the south Fulton district. Unless an independent candidate files to run later, Darnell will face no opposition in the November general election.
It’s the second time in two years the long-time allies have squared off against each other in an election. Two years ago, Darnell edged Edwards in the Democratic primary for the district seat before trouncing her Republican challenger in the general election that year.
Darnell and Edwards have long histories in Fulton County politics. For years, they were allies on the County Commission.
Darnell was first elected in 1992. She has long been an advocate for seniors, children and the poor.
Edwards served on the commission from 2000 until 2014, when a redistricting plan approved by the General Assembly forced him to run against Darnell. Long known as the “mayor of South Fulton,” he championed constituent services and projects like the Wolf Creek Amphitheater.
The race wasn’t Fulton County’s only Election Day drama. More than 40 voters accidentally cast the wrong ballot Tuesday for their state House election.
County officials said the problem involved one precinct and polling location, meaning voters would have gone to the correct polling location but received the wrong ballot.
It stemmed from a decision last year by the state Legislature to tweak district lines between House District 59 and House District 60. District voting maps should have been updated prior to Tuesday’s election, but they weren’t.
Staff writer Kristina Torres contributed to this report.
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