ATLANTA (AP) Republican Richard Woods has won the race for state schools superintendent. <br />
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The Tifton resident beat Democrat Valarie Wilson of Decatur in one of Georgia's most competitive midterm elections for statewide office. Incumbent schools chief John Barge stepped aside to mount an unsuccessful challenge to Republican Gov. Nathan Deal in the May primary. <br />
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Woods is a former social studies teacher and school administrator in Irwin County. Much of his campaign focused on asserting Georgia's independence from education standards set by the federal government and national groups. <br />
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Wilson is a former chairwoman of the Decatur school board and former president of the Georgia School Boards Association. In the last two weeks of the race, Barge crossed party lines to endorse Wilson.
