2022 Georgia State Superintendent of Schools election
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The 2022 Georgia State Superintendent of Schools election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the Georgia State Superintendent of Schools, concurrently with elections to the United States Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, governor, and other state and local elections. Primary elections were held on May 24, 2022.[1] A debate was held on October 17, 2022.[2]
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November 8, 2022
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  Woods: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% >90% Thomas Searcy: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% >90% | ||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican superintendent Richard Woods ran for re-election to a third term in office, defeating former Republican superintendent John Barge in a rematch of the 2018 Republican primary for the same office.[3] Critical race theory, the COVID-19 response, school choice and transgender students were key issues throughout the campaign.[4][5][6][7] Searcy criticized the Georgia Democratic Party and aligned organizations, including Stacey Abrams, for allegedly ostracizing her due to her stances on charter schools.[8][9]
Woods defeated Searcy in the general election, slightly expanding on his 2018 margin of victory.[10][11]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Richard Woods, incumbent State Superintendent of Schools (2015-present)[12]
Eliminated in primary
- John Barge, former State Superintendent of Schools (2011-2015) and candidate for Georgia's 14th congressional district in 2020[13]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Woods (incumbent) | 802,260 | 72.61% | |
| Republican | John Barge | 302,681 | 27.39% | |
| Total votes | 1,104,941 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Alisha Thomas Searcy, state representative from the 39th district (2003-2015), former Atlanta school superintendent, and candidate for state superintendent in 2014[15][16]
Eliminated in primary
- Currey Hitchens, attorney and former teacher[16]
- Jaha Howard, Cobb County school board member[17]
- James Morrow, teacher[16]
Withdrew before primary
- Everton Blair, chairman of the Gwinnett County school board[18]
Endorsements
Individuals
- Timothy McDonald, preacher and former president of the Concerned Black Clergy of Atlanta[19]
U.S. representatives
- Lucy McBath, U.S. representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district (2019-present)[20]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alisha Thomas Searcy | 382,792 | 56.98% | |
| Democratic | Jaha Howard | 100,675 | 14.99% | |
| Democratic | James Morrow | 97,821 | 14.56% | |
| Democratic | Currey Hitchens | 90,514 | 13.47% | |
| Total votes | 671,802 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Post-primary endorsements
Labor unions
State representatives
- Stacey Abrams, minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives (2011-2017), former state representative (2007-2017), founder of Fair Fight Action, and nominee for governor in 2018 and 2022[22]
Organizations
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
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| Richard Woods | Alisha Thomas Searcy | |||||
| 1 | October 17, 2022 | Atlanta Press Club | Jeff Hullinger | YouTube | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Woods (incumbent) | 2,115,728 | 54.19% | |
| Democratic | Alisha Thomas Searcy | 1,788,671 | 45.81% | |
| Total votes | 3,904,399 | 100.00% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||