Republican District 4 Commissioner Alison Couch won the Democratic nomination over former Grovetown mayor Gary Jones in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary, 9,836 votes (50.3%) to 9,727 (49.7%), avoiding a runoff by 109 votes (per the Augusta Press and WRDW). Cambrey Wood was unopposed. Sitting Chairman Doug Duncan, whose term ends in 2026, is not seeking re-election to the seat (per the county's official Board of Commissioners page), making this an open seat. Couch faces Wood on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot.
Alison Couch (Republican)
Alison Couch is a small-business owner, accountant, and current Columbia County Commissioner for District 4, per the campaign site.
Priorities: Reduce the property tax burden by managing growth and expanding the tax base · Plan infrastructure (roads, water systems, schools) to keep pace with county growth · Support first responders and public safety during the county's expansion (per the campaign site)
Cambrey Wood (Democratic)
Wood served as a company commander in the U.S. Army, leading more than 200 soldiers during Hurricane Rita response and a deployment to Iraq, per the campaign site. Wood also served as Chief of Engineering and Construction at Eisenhower Army Medical Center and as a senior project manager on military construction projects worldwide, per the campaign site.
Priorities: Increase transparency and public participation in county government · Maximize SPLOST funding for infrastructure and public safety while overseeing the county budget responsibly · Balance new development with environmental preservation as the county grows (per the campaign site)
Alex Griffin (Republican) and Michael Jordan (Democratic) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Columbia County Commission District 1.
Alex Griffin won a four-way Republican primary field by defeating Bobby Timmerman in the June 16, 2026 runoff, 2,778 votes (59.7%) to 1,875 (40.2%), after neither led the May 19 primary to a majority; James Van Meter was eliminated in the first round (per the Augusta Press). Michael Jordan was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Sitting District 1 Commissioner Connie Melear, whose term ends in 2026, is not seeking re-election (per the county's official Board of Commissioners page), making this an open seat. Griffin faces Jordan in November.
Alex Griffin (Republican)
Alex Griffin, Assistant Vice President of Innovation at the Medical College of Georgia Foundation, holds an MBA from UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and previously served two years on Columbia County's Board of Assessors, per his campaign site and the Augusta Press.
Priorities: Fiscal stewardship and responsible growth management · Strengthen local infrastructure and support small businesses (per the campaign site)
Michael Jordan (Democratic)
Michael Jordan is the Democratic nominee for Columbia County Commission District 1. He says he wants to improve transparency around how tax dollars are spent and get residents more information before decisions like data-center approvals, per the Augusta Press.
Priorities: Improve transparency about how county tax dollars are spent · Give residents more information before decisions such as data-center approvals (per the Augusta Press)
Al Reeves (Republican) and Samantha Rockwood (Democratic) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Columbia County Commission District 4.
Al Reeves was unopposed for the Republican nomination and Samantha Rockwood was unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the May 19, 2026 primary. Sitting District 4 Commissioner Alison Couch, whose term ends in 2026, ran for Chairman instead of re-election to this seat, making it an open seat (per the county's official Board of Commissioners page). Reeves faces Rockwood in November.
Al Reeves (Republican)
Al Reeves is a 2026 candidate for Columbia County Commission District 4, per the campaign site.
Priorities: Open, transparent government that listens to and acts on district concerns · Fiscal responsibility and protecting taxpayers · Support local businesses and preserve quality of life in the district (per the campaign site)
Samantha Rockwood (Democratic)
Samantha Rockwood appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Columbia County Commission District 4, per the county election office's November 3, 2026 candidate list and the official May 19 primary / June 16 runoff results.
John Paul Richardson qualified for one of Columbia County's elected Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor seats and is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the county's official 2026 election information page. He is not a current supervisor: the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission's official supervisor roster for Columbia County lists Rick Crawford Jr. (appointed chairman), John Shearouse (appointed), Beverly Hardaway and Bob Anderson (elected), with one elected seat vacant.
John Paul Richardson
John Paul Richardson appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 8, 2026.
Natalie Paine (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for District Attorney, Columbia Judicial Circuit.
Natalie Paine is unopposed for re-election as District Attorney of the Columbia Judicial Circuit, a circuit created by the Georgia legislature in 2021 encompassing Columbia County (per the county build brief and the Georgia Secretary of State's qualified-candidates records).
Natalie Paine (Republican)Incumbent
Natalie Paine is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for District Attorney, Columbia Judicial Circuit, per the county's official candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 8, 2026.
Max Burns (Republican), Shayna Boston (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Max Burns is the sitting member, per the Secretary of State's certified list. Party nominees were chosen at the May 19 primary and June 16 runoff (majority rule); independents qualified by petition. The field is the Secretary of State's certified November 2026 candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Max Burns (Republican)Incumbent
Max Burns is a former Congressman, educator, business leader and farmer, per his campaign site. He represents Senate District 23, per his campaign site.
Priorities: Keeping government within its role to secure funding and local control for school systems · Improving rural healthcare access and affordability · Advocating for agricultural interests and expanding broadband connectivity (per the campaign site)
Shayna Boston (Democratic)
Shayna Boston is an educator, entrepreneur, and community advocate who grew up in Swainsboro in Emanuel County, Georgia, per the campaign site. Her grandfather was the county's first Black assistant superintendent, an influence she cites in her commitment to education and service, per the campaign site.
Priorities: Strengthening public education and supporting higher teacher pay · Expanding mental health resources and affordable healthcare options · Supporting working families and small businesses, including pathways to homeownership (per the campaign site)
Lee Anderson (Republican), Lorraine V Thomas (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Lee Anderson is the sitting member, per the Secretary of State's certified list. Party nominees were chosen at the May 19 primary and June 16 runoff (majority rule); independents qualified by petition. The field is the Secretary of State's certified November 2026 candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Lee Anderson (Republican)Incumbent
Lee Anderson is a small businessman and farmer who operates a family farm in Columbia County that his family has worked since the early 1900s, per his official Senate biography. He attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, previously served in the State House from 2009 to 2012, and has represented Senate District 24 since 2016, per his official Senate biography. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Lorraine V Thomas (Democratic)
Thomas is a Gulf War veteran and nurse, per the campaign site.
Priorities: Advocating for veterans, seniors and working families' access to services · Addressing rising electricity costs linked to data center growth · Protecting farmland through responsible zoning (per the campaign site)
Rob Leverett (Republican), Hope S. Beard (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Rob Leverett is the sitting member, per the Secretary of State's certified list. Party nominees were chosen at the May 19 primary and June 16 runoff (majority rule); independents qualified by petition. The field is the Secretary of State's certified November 2026 candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Rob Leverett (Republican)Incumbent
Leverett is a lawyer and small business owner who has run a general civil law practice in Elberton for more than 30 years, representing the City of Hartwell and the Development Authority of Elbert County, per the campaign site. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law and chairs the Elbert County Library Board, per the campaign site. He is a sitting state representative running for re-election to Georgia House District 123, per the campaign site.
Hope S. Beard (Democratic)
Hope S. Beard is the Democratic candidate for Georgia House District 123 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's certified candidate list. Beard is a business owner and licensed professional counselor who leads House of Hope Counseling Services, per her Vote-USA voter guide profile. She was born in Augusta and is making a second run for the District 123 seat, per the same profile. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Priorities: Education and school safety · Medicaid expansion · Rural mental health access (per the campaign site)
Gary Richardson (Republican), Leonard Hennessy (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Gary Richardson is the sitting member, per the Secretary of State's certified list. Party nominees were chosen at the May 19 primary and June 16 runoff (majority rule); independents qualified by petition. The field is the Secretary of State's certified November 2026 candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Gary Richardson (Republican)Incumbent
Gary Richardson is an entrepreneur who previously served as a Columbia County commissioner for eight years and on the county's planning and zoning committee, per The Augusta Press. He represents House District 125 in the Georgia House, per The Augusta Press. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Leonard Hennessy (Democratic)
Hennessy is a Navy Commander and business owner who is a widower with personal experience navigating healthcare challenges within his family, per the campaign site.
Priorities: Targeted tax relief for essential service workers, retirees and teachers · Expanding healthcare access, including for rural veterans · Prioritizing rural communities in water and natural resource management (per the campaign site)
Mark Newton (Republican), Channing Von-T Taylor (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Mark Newton is the sitting member, per the Secretary of State's certified list. Party nominees were chosen at the May 19 primary and June 16 runoff (majority rule); independents qualified by petition. The field is the Secretary of State's certified November 2026 candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Mark Newton (Republican)Incumbent
Mark Newton is a board-certified emergency physician practicing in Augusta, according to his official Georgia House of Representatives biography. He is the founder and chief executive officer of MedNow Urgent Care Centers, per the same biography. Newton represents Georgia House District 127. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Channing Von-T Taylor (Democratic)
Channing Von-T Taylor is the Democratic candidate for Georgia House District 127 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's certified candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Rob Clifton (Republican), Jenny E Eppard (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Rob Clifton is the sitting member, per the Secretary of State's certified list. Party nominees were chosen at the May 19 primary and June 16 runoff (majority rule); independents qualified by petition. The field is the Secretary of State's certified November 2026 candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Rob Clifton (Republican)Incumbent
Rob Clifton is the chief executive officer of Clifton Construction, according to a LegiStorm legislator biography. He earned a bachelor's degree from Auburn University, per the same source. Clifton represents Georgia House District 131. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Jenny E Eppard (Democratic)
Jenny E Eppard is the Democratic candidate for Georgia House District 131 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's certified candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Priorities: Gun safety measures, per Georgia Majority for Gun Safety candidate pledge
These race previews show candidates we’re tracking now. A ZIP code shows your statewide and congressional races; a street address adds county and city contests. Local races are address-specific. This guide previews tracked contests, while the lookup tool narrows the list to a voter’s exact address. Tap any name to see the race, full candidate profiles, and everything else on your exact ballot. Georgia nominees were set by the May 19 primary and June 16 runoffs; unopposed nominees still print on November 3, and any November race without a majority winner goes to a December 1 runoff, per state law.
Columbia County 2026 election questions
Who is on the ballot in Columbia County, Georgia on November 3, 2026?
Columbia County, Georgia sample ballot for November 3, 2026: Commission Chairman and 10 more races, 20 candidates with bios and priorities. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Georgia?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Georgia are listed on the Georgia election hub. Georgia election hub →
How do I see my exact Columbia County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
