Recount affirms Anderson as winner of runoff with Dawkins-Haigler

Tonya Anderson remained the winner of the Senate District 43 Democratic primary run-off after a recount of the ballots on Aug. 11. The recount produced no change in the original vote tally between Anderson and Dee Dawkins-Haigler, Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced.

Elections officials in the three counties that comprise Senate District 43, which include portions of DeKalb, Rockdale and Newton, completed the recount by noon on Aug. 11, Kemp said.

Dawkins-Haigler had requested the recount on Aug. 9 after losing by 10 votes to Anderson in the July 26 run-off race.

There were 8,542 total ballots cast in the SD 43 Democratic run-off. Anderson received 50.06% with 4,276 votes compared to Dawkin-Haigler’s 4,266 votes.

Anderson moves on to face Republican Van Ness in the November general election.

“I thank the voters for their support. The Primary campaign was long and spirited, but now it is time to unify and shift our focus to November,” said Anderson.

“I call on all fair minded individuals in the District and throughout the state to join me in defeating the Trump ideology that will take money away from public education, that will benefit the rich and powerful while leaving the working class behind; that will lead to more hospital closures across the state due to our failure to expand health care coverage and that leaves our soon to be veterans exposed while they are deployed and underserved when they return home.  This election is that important,” said Anderson.

Anderson and Van Ness faced each other in the 2015 Special Election to fill the seat vacated after Ronald Ramsey’ was appointment to the State Court Traffic Division of DeKalb County.

Anderson is a military veteran, former city councilwoman and mayor of Lithonia. Anderson is a graduate of Leadership DeKalb and has served on numerous boards and organizations.  She represented the newly-formed House District 92 in the Georgia General Assembly until 2015.  She was endorsed in the Primary by the AFL-CIO, DeKalb County Solicitor-General and District Attorney-Elect Sherry Boston, Rockdale School Board member-Elect Pam Brown; Newton County Commissioner Lanier Sims and State Rep. Pamela Dickerson, who represents both Newton and Rockdale.