Michael Thurmond Wins DeKalb CEO Democratic Primary

DEKALB COUNTY, GA -- Michael Thurmond won Tuesday's DeKalb's Democratic primary in the race to become the county's next CEO.

Thurmond built a commanding lead over Joe Bembry and Connie Stokes early in the evening, leading by as much as 70 percent of the vote.

Thurmond will face Republican Jack Lovelace in November in the heavily Democratic county. Lovelace ran unopposed in the GOP primary.

Thurmond is seeking to replace interim CEO Lee May, who declined to run for re-election.

In other races ...

• DeKalb solicitor Sherry Boston upset incumbent Robert James to become District Attorney.
• Sheriff Jeff Mann fended off four challengers to his office in a race that was thought to have been more competitive than it turned out to be.
• Voters also overwhelmingly chose to continue funding county schools through a SPLOST.
• In Dunwoody, state Rep. Tom Taylor, recently arrested for a DUI in north Georgia, defeated Tom Owens.
• State Sen. Fran Millar defeated a challenge from within his own party, Paul Maner, cruising to a victory with 80 percent of the vote.
• U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson easily defeated two GOP challengers in the Republican Senate primary.
• Democrat Jim Barksdale won his party's nomination to the U.S. Senate. He and Isakson will face each other in the fall, with Isakson being considered a heavy favorite.

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In one of the more bizarre voting incidents in recent memory, a woman who was heading to vote lost control of her car and crashed head-on into a playground.

The incident happened at Intown Community Church, the woman's polling place, off Lavista Road in the North Druid Hills-Briarcliff area.

Police told the AJC no one was injured.