July 21, 2008

St. Clair, Sprouse win runoffs in County Commission race

By Scott Wright

CENTRE — Incumbent Elbert St. Clair and newcomer Wade Sprouse won their respective Democratic run-off elections on July 15. Sprouse secured a four-year term on the Cherokee County Commission, and St. Clair will face a Republican challenger in the general election on Nov. 4.

Sprouse, an employee of Cherokee Electric Cooperative, received 1,627 votes (57 percent) to Buddy Barkley's 1,226 votes.

St. Clair, a one-term commissioner from Sand Rock, pulled 54 percent of the vote in the District 3 race against retired local businessman Lanny Starr, long-time owner of the Real Pit BBQ in Centre. St. Clair received 1,590 votes to Starr's 1,335. St. Clair will face Republican Kevin Ford in the November election.

On the Republican ballot for statewide office, Beth Hellum received 62 votes to Lucie McLemore's 28 for the Place 1 seat on the Court of Criminal Appeals Place. In the race for president of the Public Service Commission, Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh got 52 votes to Matt Chancey's 40.

A total of 3,035 votes were cast during Tuesday's voting. Of those, 2,942 were cast for Democrats.

Tuesday was also the final day for candidates for municipal office in the county's five municipalities to qualify as candidates.

Four candidates will vie for the mayor's office in Cedar Bluff: Jimmy Wallace, Ethel Sprouse, Steve Lay and Dale Reese. Several council seats will also be contested in the Aug. 26 election.

In Centre, Mayor Phil Powell faces a challenge from Tony Wilkie. Fourteen candidates will vie for the seven city council spots. They are: Glenn Chandler, Ronald Bates, Jean Gossett, Rita Stubbs Stover, Frankie Kelly, Henry Wright, Ronnie Strawbridge, Joe Hall, Mark Thompson, Harry Moon, Bess Yarborough, Sid Garrett, Phillip Roberts and Scott Stinson.

In Leesburg, two town council seats feature multiple candidates, and Sand Rock residents will decide between Thomas Roan and Charles Bill Glenn, Jr. for mayor.

None of the positions up for grabs in Gaylesville feature more than one candidate.