DREW WINS DIST. 5 RACE

Grady County District 5 voters overwhelmingly favored Phillip Drew over Jesse R. Schober in Tuesday’s special election.

Drew was elected as the new District 5 county commissioner to replace the late T.D. David. Drew garnered 225 votes to 62 for Schober in the unofficial vote tally.

“I am just thankful for the support of my family and all of those who volunteered and helped me campaign. I truly appreciate all of the District 5 voters who came out and voted for me. My opponent ran a good, clean campaign and I thank him for that and wish him well,” Commissioner-elect Drew said Tuesday night after the polls closed and the unofficial results were posted on a tally board in front of The Messenger.

Drew said he was anxious to begin work. “I’m looking forward to getting started. I appreciate the opportunity to serve, and I will work hard to represent all of the residents of my district.”

Grady County Election Superintendent Denise Maddox said Tuesday night the results of the election could not be certified until Friday and she would have to verify with the Secretary of State’s office Wednesday to determine the earliest time Drew could be sworn into office.

Since qualifying for office earlier this year, Drew has been attending meetings of the Grady County Commission to get up to speed on current issues and recent board action.

Following in the footsteps of his late father, Howard, who also served on the county commission, Drew, 54, will fill the unexpired term of Commissioner David which runs through Dec. 31, 2022. The late commissioner was the sole candidate to qualify last year and was elected automatically to another four-year term.

Drew, son of the late Howard and Maxine Drew, recently sold his family business, Drew Oil, to Bainbridge-based Triple T/Sharber Oil Company. He and his wife, the former Jenny Clark, continue to own and operate Grady Oil Company on Fifth Street S.E., Drew’s Service Station on North Broad Street, and D-G Mini-Warehouses.

The Drews are members of Eastside Baptist Church.

The District 5 commissioner-elect and his wife are the parents of two grown children, Justin, 27, a pharmacist in Tifton, and Blaine, 30, a student enrolled in the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Macon.