Vowell and Jones re-elected

By Angie Thompson/senior reporter

TIFTON — Tift County Sheriff Gary Vowell and Chief Magistrate Judge Doug Jones were each re-elected Tuesday to serve four more years. In the State House District 153 race, incumbent Austin Scott (R-Tifton) will face challenger John Tibbetts who defeated challenger Doug Hughes in the Democratic Primary.

Tift County Sheriff Gary Vowell and challenger Raleigh Coarsey ran on the Republican ticket for Tuesday’s primary election and had no Democratic opposition. Vowell will begin his fourth term as sheriff in January. Vowell secured 66 percent of the total votes with 2,518 votes and Coarsey 33 percent of the total votes with 1,297 votes.

Vowell said he believed during the campaign that “we were in good shape.”

“I feel like I’ve served the community as fair and honest as I can,” Vowell said “I’ve got the greatest staff in the world and they are the ones who make me shine.”

Vowell and his supporters set up a campaign post on the corner of Tift Avenue and Fourth Street and manned it all day Tuesday, as did other candidates and their supporters. Vowell said he was “ready to go home and get some sleep and go to work in the morning.”

“I love my job and I love my people and I love my community,” Vowell said after the final vote tally was posted at Election Central.

Coarsey, who resigned his position as a detective with the Tifton Police Department before qualifying to run as the county’s sheriff, said Tuesday that he appreciated everyone who supported him by voting for him and he also appreciated those who encouraged him to run for the office.

“I ran the campaign in a way that I regret nothing,” Coarsey said. “Unfortunately, due to some irregularities in today’s voting that were brought to my attention by some individual voters, I will be conferring with state and federal officials concerning today’s election.”

Coarsey wouldn’t comment Tuesday night on his concerns.

“I would like to wish the candidates who appear to have won their races tonight successful terms,” Coarsey commented.

Chief Magistrate Judge Doug Jones was elected to his third term of office Tuesday when he defeated challenger Clay Yelverton. Jones and Yelverton both ran on the Republican ticket and had no Democratic opposition. Jones secured 2,661 of the votes (71.76 percent) to Yelverton’s 1,047 (28.24 percent).

Jones said he went “door to door and store to store” campaigning and made numerous telephone calls asking people to vote for him.

“I went about it just like I did the first time and let people know I wanted another opportunity to serve another four years,” Jones said. “I think the magistrate court is in the best shape it’s ever been in and the service is much better.”

Jones thanked those who voted for him and said “it will be an honor for me to serve again.”

“The office will continue to strive to meet the needs of the citizens, the business sector and law enforcement in the performance of their day-to-day affairs and duties,” Jones said.

Scott faced no Republican opposition in the primary for his bid to hold on to his State House District 153 seat. Doug Hughes of Ashburn and John Tibbetts of Tifton faced each other in the Democratic primary race Tuesday. In Tift County, Tibbetts secured 828 votes (70.23 percent) to Hughes’ 351 votes (29.77 percent). Districtwide, with 94 percent of precincts reporting, Tibbetts received 1,603 votes (57.2 percent) to Hughes’ 1,201 (42.8 percent).

To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.

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