Trump backed Kemp wins big in Polk, statewide

Fewer than 12.5 percent of registered voters in Polk County took part in the statewide runoff election that featured three Republican races and one Democratic race for state school superintendent.

But when the final numbers were tallied, current Secretary of State Brian Kemp easily defeated Lt. Governor Casey Cagle in Polk County, 1,793 to 710 votes.

That result was repeated in all but four of Georgia’s 159 counties as Kemp, who was indorsed by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, pulled away with 69 percent of the statewide vote.

In Polk for the Lieutenant Governor’s race, David Shafer narrowly defeated Geoff Duncan 1,226 to 1,195, but in the statewide numbers, Duncan won by only 1,730 votes or less than one percent.

In the Secretary of State race, Polk County voters chose Brad Raffensperger 1,623 votes to David Belle Isle’s 747, which mirrored the state numbers, where Raffensperger took 62% to Isle’s 38%.

Only 90 total votes were cast in the Democratic runoff in Polk, but Otha Thornton, Jr. won 47 to 43 over Sid Chapman for the state school superintendent race. Thornton won the state primary as well over Chapman, 59% to 41%.