VALDOSTA – It appears a runoff election will be required in one Valdosta school board race, as city council and school board elections were tallied Tuesday evening.

Valdosta Board of Education District 7 Superward East resulted in a runoff election between Debra Bell (incumbent) and David Gilyard.

Bell received 364 votes, 47.58% over her opponents Gilyard who received 41.31% or 316 votes. Paul Leavy received 85 votes or 11.11%.

Bell said, “I want to encourage voters to get out in the runoff elections. I would like to continue to represent District 7 on the school board and want the voter turnout to be bigger in the runoff.”

Gilyard said, “I am pleased with the results. I look forward to continuing my campaign and working to encourage voters to vote in the runoff.”

The runoff election will be held Nov. 30. The early voting date for the runoff is still to be determined, said Deb Cox, Lowndes County elections superintendent. 

School board District 1 special election resulted in Tia Heard receiving 189 votes, a 67.26% lead over her opponent, Jerome Everett, who received 92 votes or 32.74%.

School board District 8 Superward West election resulted in Justin Crenshaw receiving 708 votes or a 68.87% lead over Angela Storrings who received 124 votes or 12.06% and Gregory L. Williams Jr. who received 196 votes or 19.07%.

“I am a little nervous but very excited. I am looking forward to learning about the school board and partnering with the community for our children,” Crenshaw said.

For school board District 9 At Large, Brittney Coons-Long garnered 100% or 1,329 votes, in the uncontested race. 

Despite the election commission disqualifying the write-in candidacy of Nick Harden, the Lowndes County Board of Elections reported there were 519 write-in votes cast in the District 9 race.

The votes will not be counted unless they are for an official candidate. Cox said she has yet to see who the write-in votes are for.

All three Valdosta City Council positions – District 2, District 4, District 6 were uncontested and all incumbents return to their seats; Sandra J. Tooley, Eric Howard and Andy Gibbs.

These results are unofficial. Results will be official when certified by the election commission Friday.