Habersham County Commissioner Bruce Palmer intends to request a recount of the District 1 County Commission primary now that the results have been certified. Palmer tells Now Habersham he will likely make his formal request tomorrow, Wednesday, May 29.
Palmer fell short of making the runoff in the 3-person race.
Certified returns released by the Habersham County Board of Elections on Tuesday show Palmer received 1,687 votes (30.71%) to Eric Holbrooks’ 1,707 votes (31.08%) in the May 21 Republican primary.
Since the vote difference between Holbrooks and Palmer is less than half a percentage point, the law allows for a recount.
Kelly Woodall is assured of a spot in the runoff after receiving 2,098 of the 5,492 votes cast, or 38.2%.
VIEW Habersham County’s certified May 21 primary returns
‘Possibility of an error’
Palmer had said he was considering a recount but, by law, had to wait until the results were certified.
“I just think that as close as it is, there’s always a possibility of an error. There may or may not be,” he tells Now Habersham. “This will kind of let you know how effective the Dominion voting machines are.”
Those same voting machines came under fire during the 2020 presidential election and were used that same year for a county commission recount.
In 2020, eight votes separated Trent Davis and Bruce Harkness in the District 4 GOP primary. The vote spread held after an exhaustive recount, and Harkness went on to win the runoff and, ultimately, his commission seat.
No ill will
Holbrooks says he feels “amazing” and kind of “overwhelmed” by Tuesday’s outcome and insists he harbors no ill will.
“I don’t blame him,” he tells Now Habersham. “If the tables were turned, I would hope the same grace and mercy would have been shown to me. I trust and believe in our system, and I’m thankful that I came out on top in this particular instance.”
The deadline for requesting a recount is May 30. The runoff election is set for June 18.
Holbrooks is already looking ahead to that race, saying, “I hope people will turn out one more time. They’ve got a decision to make.”
Woodall also supports Palmer is requesting a recount. “Everybody wants to know that the election was done fairly and the votes were counted properly,” he said.
Woodall is also looking forward to the runoff explaining that his platform isn’t changing any. He says that he will be focusing on how he will approach the position of commissioner if he is elected.
“Having met constituents across the county, talking about issues that are important to them, how will I prioritize what they hold as priority,” said Woodall.
This article was updated to include Woodall’s comments
