MACON, Ga. — Bank vice president Kristin Hanlon, pre-college counselor Juawn Jackson, and Macon attorney James Freeman were excited to find they're the apparent winners in three school board races.
"There was just a sense of peace that overcame me and again, I'm very thankful, grateful, and I'm prayerful about the future as we move forward," Jackson said.
"I've gotten congratulatory messages and texts from several of the other board of education members so far," Hanlon said.
"I stayed up late that night waiting to hear something and a little after 2 a.m., the phones started blowing up with friends that, in case I didn't know, there were some results in and it looked pretty good, so we're very happy with that," Freeman said.
Jackson leads the District 4 race against David Sumrall with 53 percent of the vote. Hanlon took 61 percent of the votes against Larry Tard for the District 3 race and Freeman defeated Albert Hall for the District 6 seat with 73 percent of the vote.
"I'm confident knowing the folks that I know who have been elected that we'll work together well, and I think it's going to be a good year," Hanlon said.
"I think this is a great opportunity for us to re-gain that hope into our youth so that they can be encouraged and motivated to move forward," Jackson said.
"I think it's always nice to have new perspective, to have fresh blood as it is on the school board, new people coming in with new contacts, new interests new ideas. That's what we need," Freeman said.
A fourth race will be decided in an August runoff.
Retired educator Myrtice Johnson is leading former defense attorney Tera Edwards by 300 votes for the District 1 seat.
"I'm excited to tell people about my advocacy experience, and just continue getting that message out there. Campaigning was an interesting experience during this shelter in place order for a large part of it. So we'll just keep talking to voters and getting that message out there," Edwards said.
"I'm every excited about going into the runoff. I didn't want to runoff of course, but if I have to have a runoff, I have a runoff, but I'm very excited, I'm motivated. I got new wind beneath my wings and I'm ready to fly," Johnson said.
The secretary of state's office extended the deadline for county board of elections to give the official results by 5 p.m. Friday.
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