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Candidates set up shop in front of the City Auditorium Tuesday, staying the legal distance away from polling places but also getting in some last-minute campaigning in the process. (Paul Keane/The Wayne County News)
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By Paul Keane
Close races — including some that may swing the other way after affidavit ballots are counted — was the theme of the night during Tuesday's City of Waynesboro Democratic Primaries.
In the end, Richard Johnson unseated incumbent Joe Taylor in the race for Waynesboro Mayor. Johnson took home 718 votes to Taylor's total of 665. Johnson now moves on to the June 4 general election to face independent candidate Lynn O. Mackey.
"I had a lot of good people helping me, and I want to thank them," Johnson said. "Now, I have to get ready for another race in four weeks where I am facing a quality opponent and a good man.
"I think a lot of people want to work together as a team, and I'm willing to work with anyone that wants to make Waynesboro better."
Taylor could not immediately be reached for comment.
In the race for Alderman-at-Large, Mary Joyce Howard Davis appears to be heading to a return to the seat she lost four years ago, having bested Joe Barnett by a 707-680 margin. There were 42 affidavit ballots that still needed to be counted, though, which could swing the election one way or the other.
"It feels great," Davis said of the outcome. "I thank all my supporters and I thank God. Now, I want to get in there and find out what the needs are and get to work." She added that addressing street and drainage problems will be the first issues she tries to tackle.
Barnett said the race has been a good one and that he was humbled and appreciative of all the support he has received during the campaign.
In the race for Ward 4 Alderman, long-time incumbent Johnny R. Gray was in a tight race with challenger Michael Norsworthy, taking home 170 votes to the challenger's total of 161. That race, too, could be affected by the outcome of the affidavit ballots.
"This was much closer than I expected," Gray said. "I knew it would be close, but not this close. But it's not the first close race I've been in over the years. I just want to thank all of my supporters, both those now and over the past 20 years."
In the race for Ward 2 Alderman, incumbent Shane Barnett bested Albert D. Busby by a 180-142 margin. That race, too, could be affected by the affidavit vote totals, although Busby would have to carry nearly all of the 42 to make up the difference.
"I want to thank all of my supporters," Barnett said. "Once we get all of this behind us, we can come together and work to make this city a better place."
In the other races, Tim Cochran carried the Ward 1 Alderman race with 358 votes. He ran unopposed and will now move on to face independent candidate Perry Snyder in the June 4 election.
In the race for Ward 4 Alderman, Tammie K. Wilson ran unopposed and garnered 310 votes.
Nearly 1,400 residents cast ballots during the election, including 149 absentee ballots. Affidavit ballots were expected to be decided upon as early as Wednesday.
Election results will be certified and validated by local city election commissioners.
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