Valarie Wilson, photo from Young Nonprofit Professionals Network website. http://www.ynpnatlanta.org/

Former City Schools of Decatur Board of Education member Valarie Wilson is officially the Democratic nominee for state school superintendent.

Wilson decisively defeated state Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan in the July 22 runoff election. Wilson and Morgan emerged from a crowded field in the May 20 Democratic primary.

A reporter sent a message to both campaigns and this story will be updated when they respond. Wilson posted a short message on her Facebook page around 11:15 pm that said, “Friends, thank you for this amazing victory!”

As of 11 pm, Wilson led Morgan 53 percent to 47 percent. Wilson was ahead by nearly 8,000 votes.

Wilson’s Republican opponent in the November election hasn’t been decided. As of 11 pm, Mike Buck was in a nail-biter with Richard Woods, the only candidate in the four person race who opposes keeping the state’s Common Core educational standards. Woods was ahead by about 300 votes.

The race between Wilson and Morgan quickly coalesced around the issue of charter schools.

Wilson served as president of the Georgia School Boards Association in 2012 and was part of a statewide campaign against a constitutional amendment that allowed the state to create a charter school commission, which voters approved.

Morgan co-sponsored the amendment and presented herself as a mother who wants better options for educating her children, in addition to being an experienced state legislator.