The Associated Press

Democrat Otha Thornton Jr. has been nominated to challenge Georgia’s Republican state schools chief in November.

Thornton of Richmond Hill defeated Sid Chapman of Griffin in a Democratic runoff election Tuesday. Thornton advances to the fall campaign against Republican state School Superintendent Richard Woods.

Thornton is a retired Army lieutenant colonel who became the first black man named president of the National PTA in 2013. 

Thornton won Troup County 227 to 113, earning 67 percent of the vote.