All three female challengers win in historic Statesboro city council election

Nathan Woodruff

STATESBORO — All three challengers, Shari Barr, Paulette Chavers and Venus Mack, won their elections in districts two, three and five for the Statesboro city council on Nov. 5.

District two pitted challenger Paulette Chavers against incumbent Sam Lee Jones. Chavers won the election by 113 votes. 

  • Chavers (challenger): 299 (61.15%)

  • Jones (incumbent): 186 (38.04%)

District three featured challenger Venus Mack against incumbent Jeff Yawn. Mack won the election by 14 votes. 

  • Mack (challenger): 115 (53.24%)

  • Yawn (incumbent): 101 (46.76%)

District five featured challenger Shari Barr against incumbent Derek Duke. Barr won the election by 10 votes.

  • Barr (challenger): 101 (52.33%)

  • Duke (incumbent): 91 (47.15%)

These results are according to the election summary report for Bulloch County. 

The city council now has a female majority, not counting Mayor Johnathan McCollar’s tie-breaking vote. After this election the city council will consist of:

  • District one: Phil Boyum

  • District two: Paulette Chavers

  • District three Venus Mack

  • District four: John Riggs

  • District five: Shari Barr

Overall, about 10.9% of all registered voters voted in this year’s city council election. Whichever of the new female councilwomen that takes the oath of office first in Jan. will be the first female councilwoman in the history of Statesboro.

Nathan Woodruff, The George-Anne Managing News Editor, gaeditor@georgiasouthern.edu