Mangum, Moore win

Janis Mangum made Jackson County history Tuesday night by winning the Republican Primary runoff election.

Defeating Ramone Gilbert 5,117-3,155 and carrying 15 of 16 precincts, Mangum earned the right to be installed Jan. 1 as Jackson County’s first female sheriff.

Meanwhile, Sherry Moore was elected probate judge and Jackson County voters helped Doug Collins win the Republican nomination for the new 9th District seat in Congress.

Mangum, a longtime veteran of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, won 61.86 percent of the vote in defeating Gilbert, who is retired from the Hall County Sheriff’s office.

Gilbert worked tirelessly and easily out-spent Mangum, but Mangum’s lengthy service in Jackson County clearly paid off at the ballot box.

There is no Democratic candidate for sheriff.

In the nonpartisan race for probate judge, Sherry Moore scored an overwhelming victory over Donna Sikes, winning 5,371 (64.95 percent of the vote) to 2,898 (35.05 percent). Like Mangum, Moore carried 15 of 16 precincts.

Moore effectively argued that of the candidates for probate judge, she was the only one to have actually worked in the probate judge’s office. She works for the probate judge in Athens-Clarke.

Sikes argued that her experience as a lawyer made her the best candidate.

In the congressional race, Collins garnered 54 percent of the vote to defeat talk radio host Martha Zoller. He will face Democrat Jody Cooley on Nov. 6.

Collins carried Jackson County by a margin of 4,313-3,672, winning 54 percent of the votes in a who’s-the-most-conservative campaign.

The results of the Jackson County election will be certified on Aug. 31. Voter turnout was 27.87 percent.

SHERIFF

Ramone Gilbert--3155
Janis Mangum--5117 (62%)

PROBATE JUDGE

Sherry Moore--5371 (65%)
Donna Sikes--2898


9TH DISTRICT, U.S. REP.

Doug Collins--4313
Martha Zoller--3672