Updated - 11:07 p.m. July 27,2016
Veteran businesswoman Felicia Franklin-Warner has been elected Clayton County’s District 3 commissioner, preliminary results from Tuesday’s runoff election show.
With all 15 precincts reported for this particular race, Franklin-Warner coasted to victory Tuesday night after maintaining a solid lead most of the evening over opponent Eric Bell, a 25-year-old Navy veteran. Attorney Shana Rooks, currently the District 3 commissioner, succeeded in her bid to become a Clayton Superior Court Judge. She beat former Clayton district attorney Jewel Scott for the job. Rooks will succeed Superior Court Judge Matt Simmons who is retiring.
Forest Park attorney Robert Mack defeated attorney Leslie Miller-Terry in another Superior Court Judge race. He succeeds Judge Deborah Benefield who also is retiring.
Updated - 10:08 p.m.
Felicia Franklin-Warner maintained her lead late Tuesday in the runoff race for Clayton County District 3 commissioner.
With 13 of 15 precincts reported, the veteran businesswoman led opponent Eric Bell, a 25-year-old Naval aviator, by a sizeable margin for the commission seat currently held by attorney Shana Rooks. Efforts to reach Franklin-Warner were unsuccessful. Rooks is in a runoff against former Clayton district attorney Jewel Scott in the race for Superior Court judge.
Rooks also appeared to have a comfortable lead against Scott for Superior Court Judge Matt Simmons’ job. Simmons is retiring.
Similarly, attorney Robert Mack appeared to be the early winner in another Superior Court Judge race. He was ahead of attorney Leslie Miller-Terry in his bid for the post being vacated by Judge Deborah Benefield who also is retiring.
Updated- 8:58 p.m.
A veteran businesswoman is leading in the runoff race for Clayton County’s District 3 commissioner.
With only absentee ballots officially reported in Tuesday’s runoff by press time, early indications showed Felicia Franklin-Warner had an edge over Eric Bell, a 25-year-old U.S. Naval Aviator for the commission seat vacated by Shana Rooks.
Rooks, an attorney who also ended up in a runoff, appeared to have succeeded in her bid for Superior Court Judge. She ran against former Clayton district attorney Jewel Scott. If successful, Rooks will succeed Superior Court Judge Matt Simmons who is retiring.
Forest Park attorney Robert Mack appeared to be the early winner in another race for Superior Court Judge. He was ahead of attorney Leslie Miller-Terry for the seat being vacated by Judge Deborah Benefield who is also retiring.
Original report - 7:10 p.m.
The head of Clayton County’s elections office said Tuesday shortly before the polls closed that many of the county’s 58 precincts had been seeing a steady stream of voters turning out for the runoff election.
Elections Director Shauna Dozier said she had talked to some election poll workers throughout the day who reported that turnout was steady.
Dozier noted that the 2012 runoff drew about 16 percent of Clayton’s registered voters and she expected the same percentage to have voted by the time the polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Voters had several local runoff races on the ballot:
- Young Navy veteran Eric Bell and veteran businesswoman Felicia Franklin-Warner are vying for the District 3 county commission seat vacated by Shana Rooks. Rooks, an attorney, is in a runoff with Jewel Scott, former Clayton district attorney, to fill the seat being vacated by Superior Court Judge Matt Simmons who is retiring.
Attorneys Robert Mack and Leslie Miller-Terry are running to fill the seat being vacated by Superior Court Judge Deborah Benefield who also is retiring.
Please return for election results.
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