The primary election is over, but it will be another two months until it’s clear who will be running in most of Georgia’s statewide elections.
About half of the votes were counted, and no full results from metro Atlanta counties had been tabulated by press time Tuesday night.
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With Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle expected to be in a July runoff as he continues his quest for the Governor's Mansion, Republicans vying to become the next lieutenant governor are headed for their own round two.
Of the three Republican nominees, Sen. David Shafer appeared to have pulled ahead of his opponents with ballots in about two dozen counties counted. Former state Rep. Geoff Duncan looked poised to secure the second spot in the runoff, edging ahead of former state Sen. Rick Jeffares.
Political newcomer Sarah Riggs Amico was ahead in the race for the Democratic nomination. Triana Arnold James, a small business owner living in Smyrna, was trailing in the results Tuesday evening.
Runoff elections also are expected in the race for secretary of state. Three legislators and a former mayor filled the Republican field, with a former congressman, a former state legislator and a county tax official seeking the Democratic nomination.
Each are vying to lead the office tasked with a variety of state services including supervising elections, preserving public records and licensing professionals and businesses.
State Rep. Brad Raffensperger and former Alpharetta Mayor David Bell Isle were leading the four-way race for the Republican nomination, ahead of state Rep. Buzz Brockway and state Sen. Josh McKoon.
For the Democrats, former congressman John Barrow was leading opponents former state Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler and RJ Hadley.
The winners of the Republican and Democratic primaries will face Libertarian Party candidate Smythe DuVal, who works in medical technology, in November.
Also appearing to be headed to a runoff were Army veteran Otha Thornton, former president of the National PTA, and Georgia Association of Educators president Sid Chapman who are seeking the Democratic nomination for State School Superintendent. Sam Mosteller, also an Army veteran and former head of the Georgia chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was trailing as of press time.
Republican incumbent Richard Woods seemed poised to hold off a challenge from John Barge, a former superintendent who left after one term in an unsuccessful 2014 bid to replace Gov. Nathan Deal.
Woods will face the winner of the Democratic runoff.
Jim Beck was leading the race for the Republican nomination for insurance commissioner, and might avoid a runoff against opponents Jay Florence and Tracy Jordan.
The Republican nominee will face the winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary in November — either Janice Laws, who was leading at press time, or Cindy Zeldin.
Democratic candidates for labor commissioner Richard Keatley and Fred Quinn in a very close race as of press time. The winner of that race will face Republican incumbent Mark Butler in the general election.
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