NEWTON COUNTY — Three races in the Georgia House of Representatives are officially set for November following Tuesday’s general primary election.

Karla Daniels Hooper has earned the Democratic nomination for House District 113, which is comprised solely of Newton County.

Over in District 114, Brett Mauldin earned a decisive victory over Wendell McNeal in the Republican primary. And in District 118, Sharonda Bell defeated Covington’s Jodi Lewis in the Democratic primary.

District 113 (Newton County)

Hooper defeated former District 3 Commissioner Alana Sanders by nine points. Hooper earned 4,952 votes (54.22%) while Sanders earned 4,182 votes (45.78%). 

All three ballot types — absentee, early voting and Election day voting — steered in favor of Hooper. A total of 9,532 ballots were cast out of 39,324, which equates to a 24.24% turnout.

After her win, Hooper thanked her supporters while stressing the need to push forward.

“Thank you for trusting me with your vote! I am grateful and humbled,” Hooper wrote on Facebook. “The victory does not end here…there is more work to be done. I will work to ensure that our collective voices are heard and we have the community we deserve.”

Likewise, Sanders thanked her supporters in defeat.

“It was a close race, and I am truly thankful for the journey,” Sanders wrote. “District 3, you all had me. Those were the precincts that came through in the voting, with a close one in Beaverdam, District 2. I am thankful for your support.”

Hooper first ran for the House 113 seat in 2024 but lost decisively to incumbent Sharon Henderson. Henderson — who is currently suspended from office — opted not to seek reelection for this seat, instead unsuccessfully running for State Senate, District 43.

Don Scarbrough of Porterdale was the lone Republican to qualify, earning 1,868 votes.

Hooper and Scarbrough will face off in the general election on Nov. 3.

Districts 114 and 118 (parts of Newton County)

In District 114, Mauldin delivered a landslide victory in the Republican primary. 

The Morgan County native earned 8,017 votes (80.19%) over McNeal’s 1,993 (19.81%). In Newton County, Mauldin earned 78.99% of the vote.

Mauldin will face Newborn Councilman Michael Caw — who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary — in the general election. The winner will succeed Covington native Tim Fleming, who is seeking to become Georgia’s next Secretary of State.

Bell earned the Democratic nomination in the District 118 race with 2,258 votes (80.24%) in Newton County and 3,627 votes (76.13%) overall. Despite her roots in Covington, Lewis failed to garner the local momentum, earning just 556 votes in Newton County.

Bell will face incumbent Republican Clint Crowe in November.