Georgia
RESULTS: Georgia State House District 139 Special Election ends in runoff
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) – The polls are closed and results are in for the special election regarding Georgia state house district seat 139.
The seat covers North Columbus and a small portion of Harris County and comes in the wake of the loss of Georgia state representative Richard Smith back in January.
Today’s vote has resulted in a runoff between Sean Knox and Carmen Rice, neither candidate getting a majority of the more than 25 hundred votes cast today in both Muscogee and Harris counties.
| Muscogee County Results: Candidates | Votes |
|---|---|
| Sean Knox | 734 |
| Robert Mallard | 164 |
| Donald Moeller | 108 |
| Carmen Rice | 713 |
| Harris County Results: Candidates | Votes |
|---|---|
| Sean Knox | 311 |
| Robert Mallard | 73 |
| Donald Moeller | 32 |
| Carmen Rice | 320 |
| Combine County Results: Candidates | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Sean Knox | 1045 | 42.57% |
| Robert Mallard | 237 | 9.65% |
| Donald Moeller | 140 | 5.70% |
| Carmen Rice | 1033 | 42.08% |
| Results: | Total votes: 2455 | 100% |
News Leader 9 spoke with both candidates who both said they expected a runoff. Former Muscogee County GOP republican chair Carmen Rice and business owner Sean Knox will head to a runoff which will decide who will finish out the remainder of the term following the passing of Richard Smith in January.
“I anticipated that it would end in a runoff. We have four people in the race, just statistically that’s what’s going to happen so we’re just going to get busy, and keep doing what we’re doing and connect with the people of 139 and just have a positive mindset moving forward,” said Carmen Rice.
“People did come out and voted for me a lot of people gave a lot of effort to help get our campaign moving with great direction, so gratitude is my first thought. There’s more work to do and I’m excited about that,” said Sean Knox.
Neither candidate got 50 percent of the vote plus one to win outright.
Both Rice and Knox received 42 percent of the total votes cast in both Muscogee and Harris Counties.
Their full interviews with News Leader 9 can be found below:
Again, the runoff is scheduled to be on May 7th, whoever wins will represent House District 139 until the end of the year.
Copyright 2024 WTVM. All rights reserved.
PERRY, Ga. (WALB) — The Georgia National Fair announced ticket pricing changes for 2026 in a Facebook post.
Children ages 3-10 will now require a $5 admission ticket.
Adult tickets purchased with cash at the entry gate will cost $20, excluding discounted admission days. Adults paying with a card at the gate will pay $15.
All online transactions will include a processing fee.
Discounted admission days will be $10 for everyone. Seniors 60 and up are $10 every day.
For more ticket information and fair dates, visit https://www.georgianationalfair.com/p/getconnected/pricing.
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To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, Instagram and X. For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.
Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.
GEORGIA, Ga. (WALB) — A new bill introduced to the Georgia Senate could create a constitutional amendment to restrict voting to legal U.S. citizens.
The bill, Senate Resolution 4EX says, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people.”
If passed, Georgians will vote on the constitutional amendment in the November election.
Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger said “I have been calling on the legislature for years to pass this amendment to the state constitution. I am glad to see the legislature finally act to ensure only American citizens are voting in our elections.”
According to Raffensperger, Georgia was the first state in the nation to conduct citizen verification of voter rolls. Since 2022, Raffensperger’s office conducted two citizenship audits of Georgia’s voter rolls.
SR 4EX Text
“Casting a vote is one of the most important elements of American citizenship. Any illegal vote dilutes the value of a citizen’s lawfully cast ballot. U.S. Citizens should decide Georgia elections. Period. I urge the legislature to pass this important legislation.”
The state uses information from the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) to identify people who are non-citizens. This data is based on documents provided to DDS, through its REAL ID drivers licenses or state identification cards.
That information is also ran through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify an individual’s citizenship status.
Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.
To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, Instagram and X. For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.
Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.
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