It was guaranteed one new face would join the Baldwin County Commission in 2025, but after Tuesday’s Republican Primary runoffs, there will be two new board members.
With nearly 72 percent of the vote (516-209), political newcomer Scott Little defeated incumbent District 4 commissioner and current commission chair Johnny Westmoreland, who was seeking his fourth term.
In District 5, Henry Craig chose not to seek re-election after serving three terms, and Andrew Strickland outpolled Jay Wright with 53.5 percent of the vote (535-465), again in the Republican Primary election.
Early voting was a factor in both races. Strickland picked up 279 votes in early voting, compared to Wright’s 214, while Little topped Westmoreland 260-91 prior to election day.
No Democrat qualified for either position, so Little and Strickland will take office Jan. 1, 2025. They will join Emily Davis, Kendrick Butts, and Sammy Hall, who ran unopposed in Districts 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
Hall, Strickland, and Little will serve two-year terms due to the local legislation setting up staggered terms. Candidates for those seats on the board of commissioners will qualify for four-year terms in 2026 and every four years after.
According to figures released Tuesday evening by Election Superintendent Todd Blackwell, 1,725 ballots were cast, representing 12.39 percent of registered voters in the precincts of the two commission districts.
All told, 844 persons took advantage of early voting, while 823 made the trip to the polls Tuesday. In addition, 58 absentee ballots were received.
Little said he appreciated his community’s support and the campaign by his opponent.
“I am grateful for the incredible support and confidence Baldwin County has shown me tonight,” he said Tuesday evening. “I look forward to serving Baldwin County as the next District 5 county commissioner.
“I am also grateful to Mr. Westmoreland for running a clean campaign and being kind to me at every turn,” Little added.
Westmoreland remained upbeat the morning after the election, despite some disappointment.
“First of all, I’m disappointed in the turnout,” the incumbent said. “But,” he added, “the people have spoken. I am fine with that. I talked to Scott last night to congratulate him and said if he needed anything, to please let me know.”
Westmoreland also said the staggered terms played a part in his political journey.
“If we hadn’t got the staggered elections in, I wouldn’t have even run,” he shared. “I wasn’t going to run for another four years. I was going to do the two years, and that was going to be it. So, we can cut it two years short.”
The three-term commissioner said he would continue to work for the county in the next six months and pointed out there are projects he wants done or to see progress continue.
“One is the Aquatic Center. They are moving dirt, putting in pipe now, and there are the pickleball courts,” Westmoreland said. He also mentioned housing initiatives. “We’ve got to get them established,” he added.
Strickland, who finished second in the Primary, said he owed much of his victory to the efforts of others.
“I just had a fantastic team of people that worked very hard, and a wonderful group of supporters,” he said Wednesday morning. “It was a big team effort, and I am very grateful and humbled by the opportunity to serve District 4 and all of Baldwin County.”
Strickland felt he had to get the people out to vote in order to win.
“I wanted to improve my vote total from the Primary,” he pointed out. “That was a goal of mine. I felt like if we did that, we would be okay. And my team pulled it out,” Strickland said. “I am very grateful.”
The commissioner-elect said he will be preparing for his new job sooner than later.
“As much as shoulder with him so that I can hit the ground running, that’s what I want to do, so I can be aware of all the issues that are ongoing.”
Wright also was gracious in defeat, expressing his gratitude for his supporters and the campaign waged.
“I would just like to say a huge thank you to all of my supporters,” Wright said Tuesday night. “And I’m proud that I ran a clean race. I will be able to sleep well knowing I kept it clean and did all that I could.”
The first-time candidate is looking ahead now.
“When God closes one door, He opens another,” Wright said. “I’m excited to look to the future to see what God has in store for me.”