Local and statewide elections occurred across the nation on Nov. 4. In Statesboro, voters chose to re-elect incumbent Mayor Jonathan McCollar to a third term, defeating challenger Raymond Harris. McCollar won with 69% compared to Harris’s almost 31%.

Additionally, Tangie Johnson was re-elected to her District 1 seat on the Statesboro City Council. Bulloch County voters also chose to institute the community’s first Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST).

The FLOST will provide a way for the local government to offset revenue losses from decreased sales tax revenue resulting from the statewide floating homestead exemption that passed in 2024. Without the FLOST, residents would likely have seen higher property tax rates in the coming year.

The county also voted to renew the Education Special Purpose Local Optional Sales Tax (E-SPLOST), which helps fund projects for Bulloch County schools.

In the Statewide election for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, Democrats Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard flipped the seats for the first time since 2006. Alicia Johnson and Hubbard defeated Republican incumbents Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson, respectively. Both races were won by over 62% of the vote to 37%.

Political analysts are suggesting the results of this race could be a bellwether for the 2026 midterm elections. With next year’s elections scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026, students can look to the George-Anne’s previous article on voter registration for what they should know about the coming elections.