It was a good night for incumbents in the City of Gray’s election with all three re-elected, albeit a close call for one.
The Nov. 4 election also had good news with the renewal of Jones County’s Special Local Option Sales Tax. From all appearances, Election Day went smoothly, and the tabulation of votes was done quickly and efficiently as soon as precinct workers returned to the election office with totals and equipment.
The winners in the City’s contested races were David Tufts, Ikea Simmons, Terrell Fulford and Terry Favors.
Simmons was the only winner who is not an incumbent. He ran in the only open race, District 2, the district of the late Benny Gray.
Tufts received 98 votes to his challenger Rick Tipton’s 37. Simmons won with 40 votes to Lehman Wood’s 17 votes. Fulford received 137 votes to challenger Natalie Lurie’s 79 votes.
The closest race of the evening was between the incumbent Favors and challenger Billy Horne. That contest was decided by five votes with the final count 64 to 59.
The closeness of the numbers is indicative of the reason every vote counts.
The turnout percentage in the city election was just over 21 percent. The total number of registered voters in Gray is 2,563 and a total of 549 cast their ballots including, early voting, absentee ballots and those who voted Nov. 4.
That percentage is very little more than the percentage for county voters who cast ballots to select two public service commissioners and the renewal of the SPLOST. The county has a total of 21,977 registered voters with 3,664 voting in last week’s election. The county’s turnout percentage was 16.67.
Gray’s City Council members will receive their oaths of office on or before Jan. 5, 2026, their first meeting of the new year. That will mean the city will have a full slate of council members at their meeting for the first time in more than four years.
