Voter turnout appears light for runoff election for Gwinnett House seat
Voters wishing to cast a ballot in a runoff special election for a Gwinnett state House seat have until 7 p.m. Tuesday to make their selection.
Democrats Akbar Ali and Marqus Cole are competing to represent House District 106, which covers portions of Lawrenceville and Snellville.
They were the top two vote-getters in a Nov. 4 special election, but neither received the majority to win outright.
The winner will replace former state Rep. Shelly Hutchinson, who resigned over the summer to care for a family member.
Special elections and particularly runoffs can be hard to attract voters. In November, the candidates were boosted by statewide races for the Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities in Georgia.
But Tuesday, few residents braved the rainy, cold weather to vote.
As of lunchtime, one election manager said her precinct had only seen four voters; just six ballots were cast at another precinct.
Ali was endorsed by endorsed by Hutchinson, former Gov. Roy Barnes, House Democratic Whip Sam Park and several state lawmakers and local elected officials. Cole, meanwhile, was endorsed by state Sen. Nikki Merritt, D-Grayson, and Gwinnett Solicitor General Lisamarie Bristol.
About the Author
Michelle Baruchman covers the Georgia House of Representatives and statewide issues. She is a politics news and enterprise reporter covering statewide political stories.
