NEWTON COUNTY – District 1 will continue to see a familiar face in the commissioner role, as Stan Edwards won in convincing fashion on election night.
Edwards knocked off Democratic challenger Denise Williams.
This race held the largest margin between the two nominees, with Edwards receiving 63.38 percent of the vote at 8,176 votes. Williams garnered 36.62 percent of the vote with 4,724 votes.
Throughout his campaign, Edwards sought to remind voters of what he had done in his previous two terms, promising to continue his efforts into a potential third term. He also put board unity as a main focal point in his campaign, citing his time as acting chair after the suspension of Marcello Banes.
Williams, a longtime community activist and attendee of board meetings focused her campaign around community engagement.
With the election victory, Edwards will now continue to serve as the District 1 representative, as he has since 2017. He also currently serves as vice-chair, presumably until Jan. 2025, when the role will likely rotate to another commissioner (expected to be District 2 commissioner Demond Mason).
In a statement to The Covington News, Edwards said he is looking forward to serving a third term with the citizens of Newton County in mind, thanking his supporters along the way.
“I have lived here all my life and I simply want to continue serving my county with a common sense approach with an emphasis on existing Newton County citizens' needs, not just those in district 1. I have been the commissioner over the last eight years that almost each year has offered a revised budget to ensure taxes are kept as low as possible for our tax-paying citizens. Additionally, I feel the board has to come back together and know that disagreement on a single issue does not mean we have to create a new villain to blame or foster an environment of board dysfunction. As commissioners we simply understand the issue, voice our opinion, vote, and move to the next issue. We have got to get back to being productive on behalf of our citizens.”