Tuesday may not have seemed like an election day, but voters across the state filled local offices and a few vacant General Assembly seats.

Northwest Georgia insurance agent and entrepreneur Bruce Thompson has been elected to represent District 14 in the Georgia state Senate. Thompson won about 68 percent of votes in Tuesday's general election runoff over Cartersville businessman Matt Laughridge.

District 14 of the Georgia state Senate covers pats of Cobb, Cherokee and Bartow Counties, in the metro Atlanta area. Thompson and Laughridge, both Republicans, were vying to replace Barry Loudermilk, who resigned to launch a campaign for U.S. Congress.

The House District 104 seat was also empty because the previous officeholder resigned to run for Congress.

Voters picked former Gwinnett County prosecutor Chuck Efstration to replace Donna Sheldon.

Efstration won about 64 percent of votes over fellow Republican Teresa Cantrell, former Gwinnett County planning commissioner. District 104 in the state House covers a portion of Gwinnett County.

In east Georgia, a retired Army lieutenant has defeated a former educator to represent District 127 in the House. Brian Prince won about 56 percent of votes in the Tuesday general election runoff against Diane Evans.

Prince and Evans, both Democrats, were vying to replace Augusta Democrat Quincy Murphy who died in August. The district includes parts of Jefferson and Richmond counties, near Augusta.

Atlanta School Board
In local races, Atlanta voters overhauled the city's school board in deciding four runoff elections Tuesday.

Six out of nine board seats will be filled by new members.

Tuesday's elections resulted in the ouster of Chairman Reuben McDaniel, an investment banker who lost his at-large seat to attorney Cynthia Briscoe Brown. Brown won easily with 66 percent of the vote.

Three other races — for citywide, west Atlanta and south Atlanta districts — also were decided in runoffs.

Albany City Commission
Another new face won a City Commission seat Tuesday.

Bobby Coleman defeated incumbent Ivey Hines by 54 votes in Ward II, according to the Albany Herald. Coleman will join B.J. Fletcher as a new member of the commission.

Hines had edged Coleman by 21 votes in the Nov. 5 election, but neither man had won more than 50 percent of votes to avoid Tuesday’s runoff.

Contributors: This report includes material from the Associated Press.

Tags: General Assembly, Albany, Atlanta Public Schools, special election, elections, runoff, Georgia Runoff elections, Atlanta Public School Board, brian prince, diane evans, chuck efstration, teresa cantrell, bruce thompson, matt laughridge