RINGGOLD, Ga. - Incumbent Bobby Winters garnered enough votes Tuesday to keep his seat on the Catoosa County Commission.
Winters, 65, took 599 votes to Stephanie Dickert's 490 to claim his third term on the commission's District 2 seat. Voter turnout was 10.6 percent.
"I'm proud to get to serve the people for the next four years," Winters said Tuesday night after the ballots were counted. He celebrated with more than a dozen supporters who were hugging, backslapping and handshaking at the Courthouse Grill in Ringgold after the results came in.
In the July 20 primary, Winters took 507 votes to Dickert's 297 and Mark Lindsay's 222. The runoff was necessary because no candidate took at least 50 percent of the vote.
The two candidates split the district with their divergent personalities and platforms.
As in the primary, Winters did well in the precincts around Duncan Park and Westside - an area with older homes and residents - and Dickert did well in Boynton, where many younger families live.
Winters, who is retired from the construction industry, has lived in Catoosa County his entire life. He runs the Hitching Post Flea Market off Dietz Road and works on old tractors in his spare time.
During the campaign, he touted his construction experience, saying it's important for someone on the commission to understand paving, building and grading.
Dickert had criticized Winters for not appearing in debates or joining her at candidate forums. Winters had responded by saying he didn't need to and that residents appreciated what he did.
Still, Winters acknowledged Tuesday that he learned a few things.
"We all know we've got some good growth coming," he said. "I'm just excited to be part of it."
Dickert, who said she would have been the second woman elected to the commission, said she was disappointed but hasn't given up on public service.
"I have four years to think about the commission seat," she said. "It's the beginning, not the end."
No Democrats qualified for the seat, which means Winters will win the Nov. 2 general election by default.
Continue reading by following these links to related stories:
Article: Voters head back to the polls today