Johnson, Smith win, Stanley/Steed, and Millender/Brooks in apparent runoffs.
Franklin County Republican voters cast ballots to decide who will be the party’s nominee and ultimately hold office in locally contested races for three county offices and the county chairman’s seat. They ended up with two clear winners and two races for which no candidate received a majority of more than 50 percent.
Kathy Lovier Johnson is the clear winner in the race for Franklin County District Clerk. Johnson garnered 54.8 percent of the vote, 1,109 against the current office holder, Ellen Jaggers, with 913 votes in the race.
Incumbent Pct. 4 Commissioner Scott Smith attracted 67.7 percent voter approval with 499 votes against challenger Robert Summerlin’s 32.2 percent and 238 votes.
With four candidates in the race for the County Commissioner Pct. 1 seat, no one had a clear majority of the 662 ballots cast in that race. This leaves the top two vote getters in an apparent runoff for the seat.
The apparent runoff will be between Joe Dan (Jody) Stanley and Ricky Steed. Stanley received 41.3 percent of the votes with 274 cast, and Steed received 25.8 percent with 171 votes cast. Other candidates were Billy Williams with 163 votes and Donny J. Richards with 54 votes.
Also, in an apparent runoff, there will be candidates for County Republican Party Chairman. Two of the three candidates were within one point of each other in the number of votes cast. However, neither had more than a 50 percent majority.
Jack Brooks led the field with 711 votes for 43.1 percent of the total. Mike Millender garnered 694 votes for 42.1 percent of the total votes cast for county chair. Andre Miller collected 242 votes.
Runoffs for these two county offices will take place on May 26, 2026, along with any state-wide runoff races.
Five incumbents were unopposed in their bid for reelection. Unopposed candidates and their offices were precinct 2 commissioner Toby Godfrey, county judge Scott Lee, county clerk Brook Emerson Bussell, and justice of the peace Robert Zinn.
With no Democratic opposition for any of the county offices to be filled in the November General Election, these winners will be the individuals to be sworn into office on Jan. 1, 2027.
