By Sarrah Peters
News Editor
Locals headed to the polls on Tuesday, June 5 to vote in the local and state primary elections.
In Etowah County, about 23,000 of the county’s 70,470 registered voters turned out to make their voices heard, meaning about a third of registered voters turned out. About 83 percent of the voters voted in the Republican primaries, and about 16 percent of voters voted in the Democratic primaries.
Glenda Jackson, who was managing Convention Hall’s polling center, said that typically less people vote in the primary elections, except when presidential candidates are on the ballots.
In Etowah County, runoffs will be held for the County Commissioner District 4 race and the Alabama State House District 30 race. In the County Commission District 4 race, Jeff Overstreet, who received about 33 percent of the votes, will face Tim Ramsey, who received about 25 percent of the votes, in the runoff. In the Alabama State House race, Craig Lipscomb, who received about 31 percent of the votes, will face Robert McKey, who received about 30 percent of the votes, in the runoff.
In the Circuit Judge, Place 4 primary, Cody Robinson won with about 60 percent of the votes. Scott Hassell won the primary race for probate judge with 52 percent of the votes. Hassell won over challenger Matt Skelton by just under 1000 votes.
In the Etowah County Commission District 5 primary, Jeffery Washington won over Curlie DeRamus by just over 125 votes. In the County Commission District 6 race, Craig Inzer, Jr. won over incumbent Tim Choate by just over 100 votes.
The Etowah County Sheriff race was decided when Jonathon Horton received nearly twice as many votes over current sheriff Todd Entrekin. There was no Democratic candidate. The sheriff’s race received a good deal of local and national media attention. Entrekin was criticized for the inmate feeding program. During the race, concerns were leveled about Horton’s past, including an accident that occurred while he was under the influence.
In the Alabama State House of Representatives District 28 race, Democratic candidate Kyle Pierce won over Ralph Burke by receiving about 700 more votes more than Burke. In the November general election, Pierce will face off against Republican candidate Gil Isbell, who had no Republican challengers for the primaries.
In the Alabama Senate District 10 race, Republican candidate Andrew Jones bested Mack Butler in the primary. Jones obtained 12,522 votes, resulting in 53 percent of the votes, while Butler received 10,907 or 47 percent of the votes. Jones will face Independent candidate Craig Ford in the November general election.
Governor Kay Ivey won the Republican primary with 325,201 votes which equaled 55 percent of the votes. She will face off against Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, who won the Democratic primary with 154,558 votes which was 55 percent of the votes cast, for the office of governor.
The lieutenant governor race will have a runoff election between Republican candidates Twinkle Cavanaugh and Will Ainsworth. Cavanaugh received 234,530 votes resulting in 43 percent of the votes cast. Ainsworth got 200,368 totaling 37 percent of the votes. The winner of the runoff will face Will Boyd, the only Democratic candidate entered in the race.
The attorney general race was incredibly close among the four Republican candidates in the primary election. Steve Marshall, with 154, 219 votes equaling 28 percent of votes cast, will face off against Troy King, who received 151,364 votes equaling 27 percent of votes. Alice Martin and Chess Bedsole were not far behind, with 23 percent and 20 percent of the votes, respectively. The winner of the runoff will go head to head with Democratic candidate Joseph Siegelman, who received 54 percent of the votes.
Republican John Merrill will face off against Democrat Heather Milam for the office of secretary of state. Merrill, with 328,916 votes, received 72 percent of the votes. Milam received 64 percent of the votes with 160,736 votes.
In the state treasurer race, Republican John McMillan received 269,407 votes, totaling 61 percent of votes cast. Because there are no Democratic candidates for the treasurer office, McMillan has won the office.
Tom Parker narrowly beat out Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Lyn Stuart in the Republican primary for Supreme Court Chief Justice. Parker received 262,429 votes, amounting to 52 percent of the votes. Parker will face Democratic candidate Bob Vance, Jr. in the November general election.