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.

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.

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