Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell
Close North Georgia finishesForty-three voters decided the outcome of North Georgia’s Lookout Mountain district attorney’s race.
Across four counties with nearly 22,000 votes, the race between longtime Lookout Mountain District Attorney Herbert “Buzz” Franklin and public defender Doug Woodruff came down to the last precinct’s results at the end of Tuesday night.
Franklin took the win with 10,973 votes. He got the most votes in his home county of Dade and in Chattooga County. With 10,930 votes, Woodruff won more votes in the higher-populated areas of Walker and Catoosa counties.
Woodruff said he won’t decide whether to petition the state for a recount until the final tally, including provisional votes, is certified by the Georgia secretary of state. Because it’s a state position, the order would have to come from the state rather than local government, election officials said.
Woodruff said challenging an incumbent was difficult but he knew the race would be close based on all of his local support.