(WTXL) — Two Republican candidates won their respective special election contest in southwest Georgia counties Tuesday.
According to unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State, Sam Watson won the State Senate District 11 seat, while Charles H. Cannon won the Georgia State House of Representatives District 172 seat.
In the three-candidate senate race, unofficially Watson garnered 10,097 votes, which was more than 76% of the total votes submitted.
Mary Weaver-Anderson, a Democrat, earned more than 22% of the vote (3,048) and Libertarian John H. Monds secured just over 1% of the vote in the race.
By securing at least 51% of the vote, Watson avoids a runoff election that would have been held Feb. 28.
The district 11 seat became open afterincumbent Dean Burke of Bainbridge, a Republican, resigned last year to accept a position with the Georgia Department of Community Health.
Before entering the district 11 senate race, Watson was the incumbent representative for district 172.
Cannon, a Republican who is an administrator with the Colquitt County Government, was unopposed in the State House of Representatives District 172 election and unofficially earned 3,428 votes.
Watson inherits Senate District 11 seat that includes Seminole, Decatur, Grady, Thomas, Brooks, Colquitt and Cook counties.
District 172 includes northeast Thomas County, south, west and central Cook County and all of Colquitt County.
