Unopposed‭: ‬Some‭ ‬candidates re-elected without opposition

As some local candidates waited for results during Tuesday night’s election, others already knew they would be returning for another term.

Coroner Richard Stanley III, Chief Magistrate Judge Colby Crabb, Probate Judge Genola Jackson, Superior Court Judges Jon Helton and Jud Green, District 150 state Rep. Matt Hatchett and three Laurens County Board of Education members – Kenny Payne, Tony Johnson and Jarvis Wilcher – did not have to keep up with the vote totals as they rolled in throughout the night. All were unopposed.

“I have spent quite a few election nights, primary and general, at different watch parties or events,” Hatchett said before Election Day. “I’m staying home because we’ve got some very important seats in our county that I want to watch. I’m going to go to the courthouse and be a fly on the wall. Being unopposed is nice. People have been supporting me for 14 years now.”

Hatchett will have to run again in 2026. 

“You hope that it reflects that the people are pleased with what you are doing,” he said. “I wish I could please everybody, but I don’t think that’s possible. I’ve been there and worked hard for (Laurens County) and the state.”  

Stanley is currently the longest serving elected official in the county, becoming coroner in 1988. 

“I love my job as coroner of Laurens County,” Stanley said. “I am proud Laurens County is leading by example and setting the way for other counties in our area. I have served the death care industry my whole life. It hasn’t always been easy, and some days it still isn’t, but I do feel I have done the best job I can and will continue to serve. And I promise that every family and the deceased victim will receive the very best care they can possibly get when it comes to my office handling or transporting your loved one.”

Payne, Johnson and Wilcher were all happy to be returning for the LCBOE.

“This will be my fourth term,” Payne said. “I think it’s very good to have no opposition. We still have a lot of things to accomplish. We still have a lot of stuff we could do better and hone in on. The continuity on the board makes it better. We can work out our differences and move on. We won’t always agree, and but we know we can agree to disagree. At the end of the day we are working for what is best for the kids in the county.”  

Johnson will be starting his second term. 

“It’s a compliment to run unopposed,” he said. “I believe it is because everything is running well. It is a great feeling whenever you have the trust to continue on. There are no major problems, we are good financially, our faculty and staff are phenomenal and doing well and excelling in school. It’s a good feeling to go back in for another four more years.”

This will be Wilcher’s first four-year term. He won a special election 

to complete the unexpired term of James Brown, who passed away almost a year after winning election in 2020.

“I’m thankful that District 2 trusts and supports me,” Wilcher said. “Running unopposed is a humbling experience that tells me that my commitment to serving our community and schools is done at the best of my ability. Having us all running unopposed will keep us going the direction we want our school district to go. I’m excited to continue to making sure that the kids are our main focus and that all of the decisions that we make are student focused and student centered, while not forgetting about our teachers, faculty and staff.” 

Crabb will be starting her second campaign. She has run both times unopposed. 

“It’s a honor to be able to serve the community and the citizens for another term,” Crabb said. “I’m excited to get to stay in office and continue to be a civil servant. My first term flew by, so it doesn’t feel like four years.” 

Jackson was busy Tuesday working as the election superintendent. She was glad she did not have to campaign for a second term.

“What a relief it was,” she said. “I’m just glad I didn’t have any opposition. It made me kind of feel like I was doing a good job based on the fact that nobody ran against me. I would had if I had to just like I did four years ago. But I’m grateful and thankful to the people of Laurens County for the opportunity to serve as probate judge for these past four years and I’ll have the opportunity to continue to serve.” 

Tuesday was bittersweet for Jackson because her brother, the Rev. Spencer T. O’Neal, won’t be there. He passed away a week after Jackson was sworn in for her first term.

Judges Helton and Green said it felt good to not have to campaign this year.

“I’m just thankful that I get to serve the citizens for another four years,” said Helton, who will be beginning his fourth term. 

Green will begin his third term.

“Eight years is a long time,” Green said. “I’m a different person now. I’m 55 years old, had a heart attack in February, and I’m a grandparent this year. I’m in a different stage of my life.” 

On Tuesday night, his stage was a front row seat watching the results scroll by on a monitor in the Laurens County courtroom. 

“It is nice to sit there and watch the results, congratulate the winner and also talk to the losing party,” Green said. “I know how much time, energy and money goes into this. It is a lot to ask for anybody. I know what it takes to run a campaign, and it’s not easy.”