DALTON, Ga. — On Wednesday afternoon state Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton, was hard at work picking up campaign signs.

On Tuesday, Payne defeated Dalton businessman Dan McEntire by 61.99% (15,394 votes) to 38.01% (9,438 votes) for the Republican nomination for state Senate District 54, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s Office. No Democrat qualified, so Payne will likely be returning for his second full two-year term in the state Senate in January.

“I’m very pleased obviously,” Payne said. “When I first ran for the Senate I approached it with a public service mentality. I’d like to think I have kept that mentality of serving my district and that is why the voters have supported me.”

Payne finished first in a five person special election in 2016 to finish the unexpired term of Charlie Bethel in the District 54 seat and won the runoff for that seat in 2017. Bethel was appointed by then-Gov. Nathan Deal to the Georgia Court of Appeals. Deal later appointed Bethel to the Supreme Court of Georgia. He was reelected on Tuesday.

Payne won his first full term in 2018. District 54 includes Whitfield and Murray counties and parts of Gordon and Pickens counties.

McEntire said Wednesday he was disappointed.

“But I’m not disappointed for me,” he said. “I had a great team that really worked hard, and I’m disappointed for them. But we knew we were fighting long odds challenging an incumbent.”

McEntire, founder and president of Supreme Carpet in Chatsworth, was mayor of Chatsworth for two two-year terms in the 1980s. He said Wednesday this was likely his last run for political office.

“I’ll still be active and support other candidates, but I don’t see myself running again,” he said.

Payne returns to Atlanta on Monday as the legislature resumes its session after a break of almost three months because of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“We’ve still got 11 days” in the session, said Payne. 

Lawmakers have to finish the budget for fiscal year 2021, which starts July 1. They are looking at cutting the budget by 14%.

“Georgia has a constitutional requirement that we balance the budget,” Payne said. “And like a lot of households, the state’s revenues are down.”

Payne served in the U.S. Army for four years in the 82nd Airborne Division. After leaving the Army, Payne began a career with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, first at the Dalton Regional Youth Detention Center as a probation/parole specialist and then as a juvenile probation officer in first Catoosa County and then Murray County.