Johnston Squeaks Out Win In Cherokee BOC Race

CANTON, GA — After three and a half hours of watching the vote tally go back and forth, Harry Johnston has held onto a razor-thin margin to become next chairman of the Cherokee County Commission.

According to unofficial results on the Georgia Secretary of State's website, Johnston has 50.25 percent, or 9,971 votes to fellow Republican challenger Stanley Townsend's 49.75 percent, or 9,873 votes.

Johnston, the former District 1 commissioner who lost his 2014 re-election bid to incumbent Steve West, will succeed incumbent Chairman Buzz Ahrens, who opted not to seek re-election. West was also up for re-election, but did not face any opposition.

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A new face will also join the County Commission, as Corey Ragsdale has been elected to represent residents living in District 4. Ragsdale has defeated fellow challenger Steve Divine with 52 percent, or 1,845 votes. Divine garnered 48 percent, or 1,693 votes from citizens. Ragsdale will replace incumbent Scott Gordon, who also chose not to seek re-election to a second, four-year term.

Incumbent Cherokee County School Board member Rick Steiner will also return to the District 4 seat. Steiner defeated challenger Donna Kosicki with 69 percent, or 1,812 votes. Kosicki, a longtime PTA advocate, received 31 percent, or 800 votes.

Cherokee County Juvenile Court Judge Tony Baker has cruised to victory in his bid to succeed retiring Cherokee County Superior Court Judge Jackson Harris. Baker soundly defeated Canton attorney Benson Chambers with 72 percent, or 16,390 votes. Chambers received 28 percent, or 6,344 votes.

Todd Hayes has also been elected to serve as Cherokee County's next solicitor general. Hayes defeated challenger and fellow attorney Sarah Hobson with 55 percent, or 10,639 votes. Hobson received 44 percent of the electorate's backing, which translates to 8,506 votes.

Cherokee County has 157,954 registered voters and 26,854, or 17 percent of those voters, opted to cast ballots in the May 22 primary elections, according to the county's website. You can view the election results by clicking here.

This is a developing story, so return to Patch for updates.

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