Georgia State School Superintendent Richard Woods is heading to a Republican primary runoff after falling just short of avoiding a one-on-one fight with Candler County Superintendent Fred “Bubba” Longgrear, as frustration over student reading scores spills into the statewide race.
Woods received 49.9% of the vote in the May 19 Republican primary, while Longgrear finished second with 29.1%, sending the race to a June 16 runoff. The winner will face Democratic nominee Lydia Powell, an assistant principal at Hampton High School, in November.
The contest has become a proxy battle over whether Georgia’s education bureaucracy is moving fast enough to address literacy. Federal data showed only 30% of Georgia fourth graders performed at or above the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Proficient level in reading in 2024. The Georgia Department of Education points to a state literacy metric showing 65% of third graders reading at or above grade level during the 2024-25 school year.
Longgrear has pitched himself as a change candidate who can work more closely with lawmakers and local districts. His campaign has drawn support from Republican lawmakers involved in education policy, including House Speaker Jon Burns, House Education Committee Chairman Chris Erwin and Senate Education Committee Chairman Billy Hickman.
Woods, seeking a fourth term, has defended his record by pointing to conservative education fights and a higher graduation rate. WABE reported Woods has touted Georgia’s graduation rate rising from 79% in 2015 to 87.2% in 2025.The runoff follows Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s signing of House Bill 1193, which funds a literacy coach in every school offering kindergarten through third grade. That law raised the stakes for the superintendent’s office, giving Georgia voters a clear choice between staying the course under Woods or handing the department to a local superintendent promising a reset.
