COVINGTON, Ga. — Newton County voters have their choice of candidates for most elected offices on this year’s General Election ballot.
Advance voting is set to begin Monday, Oct. 17, and run through Nov. 4, before Election Day Nov. 8.
An Absentee Ballot application can be downloaded from the Secretary of State’s website or here and printed; or an application can be requested from the Newton County Board of Elections office in person or by calling 770-784-2055.
According to county election officials, locations for Advance Voting in Newton County include:
• Turner Lake Center, 6183 Turner Lake Road, Covington;
• Prospect Church at Oak Hill, 6752 Highway 212, Covington.
The dates are Oct. 17-Nov. 4. Times are Monday-Wednesday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday voting can be done Oct. 22 and Oct. 29, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at Turner Lake Center only.
Sunday voting will be available Oct. 30, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at Turner Lake Center only.
Candidates for elected office on the Newton County General Election ballot include:
COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 2
Incumbent Commissioner Demond Mason will face Republican Donald Bryant Jr. in the Nov. 8 general election.
Mason defeated Steven Rhodes, Earnest L. Simmons and Dwayne Stephens for the Democratic nomination May 24. Bryant was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
The Georgia General Assembly reconfigured District 2 as part of its changes to Newton County’s commissioner and school board districts in response to 2020 census data.
The district added some area from District 3 that is north of Brown Bridge Road and includes areas in the Wisteria community; and lost a section between highways 162 and 81 to District 1.
COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 4
Incumbent J.C. Henderson is seeking a seventh term on the Board of Commissioners and is facing a challenge from Republican Scotty Scoggins in November.
Scoggins, a local businessman, ran for election to the Covington City Council in 2021 but lost to Charika Davis for West Ward Post 2.
District 4 also was reconfigured as part of the General Assembly’s changes to Newton County’s commissioner and school board districts in response to 2020 census data.
The district now includes all of the city of Porterdale and the Springhill area along Lower River Road near the county landfill and no longer includes the city of Oxford.
COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 1
Incumbent Trey Bailey, a Republican, is facing a challenge from Democrat Catalata Hardeman for a second full term.
Bailey, who is executive pastor at Eastridge Church, was appointed by the school board in March 2016 to serve the remainder of Stan Edwards’ term after Edwards resigned to run for the Board of Commissioners District 1 seat. Bailey was elected for his first full term in November 2018.
COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 3
Incumbent Shakila Henderson-Baker, a Democrat, is unopposed for a fourth term.
COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 5
Incumbent Abigail Coggin, a Republican, is unopposed for a fourth term.
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 93
State Rep. Doreen Carter, D-Lithonia, is the incumbent living in the district and is unopposed for a fourth term in the House in the new District 93 seat.
Carter, an accountant, owns a financial education company. She is a former Lithonia City Council member and was the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State in 2014. She was elected in 2015 to the District 92 House seat.
State House District 93 was created as part of the legislative redistricting and includes parts of Newton, Rockdale and south DeKalb counties.
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 113
Incumbent State Rep. Sharon Henderson, D-Covington, is unopposed for reelection to a second term. The district also was redrawn to remove Rockdale County precincts and now only includes part of Newton County.
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 114
Republican Tim Fleming of Covington and Democrat Malcolm Adams of Oxford will square off for the new House District 114 seat.
Fleming is former chief of staff for Gov. Brian Kemp but left the Kemp Administration in September 2020 to enter the private sector. He previously served on the Newton County Board of Commissioners as the District 5 member from 2009-2013.
Adams is an economist, author and public speaker.
District 114 is comprised of parts of Newton and Jasper Counties and all of Morgan County. The incumbent living in the new district, State Rep. Dave Belton, R-Buckhead, is not seeking reelection.
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 17
Incumbent State Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, will face Democrat Kacy Morgan of Madison.
Strickland defeated Brett Mauldin of Madison for the Republican nomination in May, while Morgan was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Strickland, an attorney, is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and vice chairman of the Higher Education Committee.
Morgan is pastor of Bethel Bara Baptist Church in Union Point and an Iraq War veteran.
The district include much of Newton County and parts of Morgan, Henry and Walton counties.
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 43
Incumbent State Sen. Tonya Anderson, D-Lithonia, is seeking a fourth term in the state Senate but faces a challenge from Republican Melanie Williams of Stonecrest.
Williams is a property manager. Anderson is a certified life coach, ordained minister and a former mayor of Lithonia and state representative.
The district includes parts of Newton and DeKalb counties and all of Rockdale County.
U.S. HOUSE
4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Stonecrest, faces a challenge from Republican Jonathan Chavez of Conyers.
Johnson is seeking a ninth two-year terminator the U.S. House seat. Chavez is an Iraq War veteran and a medical clinic director.
The district includes parts of Newton, Gwinnett and DeKalb counties and all of Rockdale County.
U.S. HOUSE
10TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Republican Mike Collins of Jackson will face Democrat Tabitha Johnson-Green of Sandersville in the Nov. 8 general election.
Collins is a trucking company owner and son of former congressman Mac Collins. He defeated Vernon Jones, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, in a June runoff for the GOP nomination.
Johnson-Green, a registered nurse, is making her fourth bid for a congressional seat. She defeated Jessica Fore in a June runoff to win the Democratic nomination.
The district includes part of Newton County and all or part of 17 other eastern Georgia counties.
Because the listed candidates represent districts, Newton County voters will only see the candidates for offices that represent the districts where the voters reside.
