By Donna Thornton/News Editor
Primary races in Etowah County proved a success for most incumbents.
The only local race that will require a runoff vote is the contest for the District 4 seat on the Etowah County Commission. Incumbent Jeff Overstreet took the most votes – 48.91 percent of the ballots cast – but fell just short of the 50 percent he would have needed to avoid a runoff. Overstreet will face Lana Gaskin Bellew in a runoff vote on July 15. Bellew received 30.86 percent of the vote, while candidate Randall Green took 20.24 percent of the vote.
Incumbent Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin claimed 72.50 percent of the vote to challenger Russell A. Jones’ 27.50 percent.
In a hotly contested race for the Republican nomination for House District 30, incumbent Mack Butler, a local electrical contractor, won with 56.90 percent of the vote.
His competitor, Robert McKay, mayor of Ashville in St. Clair County, received 43.10 percent of the vote.
Etowah County Board of Education member Tim Womack will hold on to the Place 1 seat after he got 53.08 percent of the votes case in that county-wide race. Phillips Stone received 46.92 percent of the vote.
On the Democratic ballot, the only local race was the one for coroner. Brandon Martin claimed 59.64 percent of the vote while Robin Grant took 40.36 percent. Martin won the Democratic nomination and will face Republican candidate Michael Head, who currently serves as Etowah County’s deputy coroner.
In statewide races of local interest, Etowah County’s Terry Dunn will face a runoff race for Place 2 on the Public Service Commission. Incumbent Dunn took 47.99 percent of the vote and challenger Chris “Chip” Beeker received 28.99.
Mary Scott Hunter retained her seat on the state Board of Education, representing a district that includes Etowah County.
On the ballots for the gubernatorial race, incumbent Gov. Robert Bentley received 86.80 percent of the vote and Democrat Parker Griffin claimed 73.48 percent of the Etowah County Democratic ballots.