VALDOSTA – Catherine Mims Smith was ahead by 1,400 votes Tuesday night in her runoff bid for superior court judge in the Southern Judicial Circuit.

Smith had 7,392 votes, or 53.3%, combined from the five counties of the Southern Judicial Circuit – Lowndes, Brooks, Echols, Colquitt and Thomas, according to the Georgia Secretary of State website.

Her opponent, William Long Whitesell, had a combined five-county total of 5,975, or 44.7%.

In the May primary, Smith garnered 46.02% of the five-county vote, Whitesell had 34.63% and candidate Robert L. Moore Jr. garnered 19.35%. A candidate must reach 50% plus one vote to win election. If the mandatory 50% plus one vote is not reached, the election goes to a runoff between the two candidates receiving the top number of votes.

in the June 21 runoff, Smith took Brooks County with 497 votes to Whitesell’s 483. She also took Colquitt County with 947 votes to his 778. Whitesell garnered the most votes in Echols County with 164 to Smith’s 41. He also took Lowndes with 3,772 votes to her 1,697. But Smith took Thomas County by a whopping 4,210 votes to Whitesell’s 778.

These results are unofficial. Results will be official later this week when certified by election officials.