SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — The blue wave that swept across the country and Georgia stopped short of Effingham County, where voters returned all three Republican county commissioners to office despite their support for Project Camellia, the controversial proposed OpenAI data center.
But the results also revealed a closer contest in District 2 and gave local Democrats reason to believe the county's political landscape could be changing.
Ivy Gibbins of the Effingham County Democratic Party said she was disappointed that voter turnout hovered around 50%, particularly given the attention surrounding the election and Project Camellia.
Still, she said Democrats made progress in a county long dominated by Republicans.
"I'm blown away at how close we were able to get to removing a long-term incumbent like him," Gibbins said of District 2 Commissioner Roger Burdette.
Burdette received 2,986 votes to Democrat Darlene Ainsworth's 2,451, a margin of 535 votes.
The other commission races were less competitive. District 3 Commissioner Jamie DeLoach defeated Democrat Scott Hoffman 3,349 to 1,932. In District 5, Commissioner Phil Kieffer received 3,182 votes to write-in candidate James Daniels' 616. Additional write-in ballots were still being reviewed.
All three incumbents supported Project Camellia.
Gibbins pointed to ticket-splitting as an encouraging sign, noting that some voters supported Republican candidates in other races while voting for Democrats in local contests.
"I think that it's going to open the door to more people being willing to cross party lines," she said.
The results of the state House District 1 race offered a different picture locally. Although Democrat David Dillie won the district overall, Effingham County voters favored Republican incumbent Bill Hitchens by approximately 64% to 35%. Dillie's victory was driven by his strong showing in Chatham County.
Turnout fell short of expectations
Effingham County Elections and Registration Director Laura Bassett said 25,621 voters participated in Tuesday's election, compared with 25,447 in the November 2022 midterm election.
Although the total was slightly higher than four years ago, Bassett said she had expected greater participation given the political activity and attention surrounding the election.
"I did think turnout was going to be higher," she said.
Bassett said early voting continues to grow in popularity, offering voters three weeks and two Saturdays to cast ballots before Election Day.
Her office is also scouting a second early voting location on the south side of the county, with the goal of having it available for the 2028 presidential election.
Gibbins said the turnout was particularly frustrating given the party's organizing efforts, including canvassing, signs, banner drops and meet-and-greets.
She said the close District 2 race has prompted Democrats to consider how they approach future campaigns.
"We were so close, but something does have to change," she said.
For now, Gibbins sees the results as a foundation for the next election cycle, not an endpoint.
"2028 is going to be magical," she said. "I really do believe that looking at these numbers."
Burdette, meanwhile, said the close race gave him a new perspective on leadership.
"I've learned a tremendous amount throughout this entire process, not just about development and its challenges, but about leadership itself," he said. "The close election is a reminder that I represent everyone in District 2, including those who disagree with me. Their concerns matter just as much."
