Republicans now have commission majority
By Staff
Staff Reports, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle voters chose President George Bush over Senator John Kerry by a vote of 4,590 to 1,622. At presstime, the national race remained too close to call, though most pundits said Bush had won a second term.
Bush won Alabama by a convincing majority as well, earning 62 percent of the state's votes.
The GOP trend continued through the votes for Morgan County, with Republicans taking every county office.
Republican John Glasscock, District 2 commissioner, won in the commission chairman's race. He out-polled Democrat Jeff Clark, District One commissioner, 3,573 to 2,461 votes in Hartselle. Countywide, Glasscock received 24,283 votes to Clark's 20,498. Clark still has two years remaining on his commission term and becomes the group's only Democrat.
Gov. Bob Riley will appoint someone to fill Glasscock's commission seat.
Morgan County District 3 Commissioner Don Stisher, a Democrat, won over his Republican challenger, Kevin Murphy, in Hartselle, 3,516 to 2,603 votes, but lost in the countywide vote. Murphy received 23,246 votes to Stisher's 21,413.
Incumbent Republican Stacy George defeated his democratic challenger, Rickey Borden, 3.410 to 2,649 votes. George received 26,052 votes countywide, to Borden's 19,070.
In the race for Morgan County district attorney, incumbent Republican Bob Burrell won over his democratic challenger, Catherine Halbrooks by a vote of 3,082 to 3,050. Burrell received 24,140 countywide votes to Halbrooks' 21,463.
Republican Senator Richard Shelby won easily over Democrat Wayne Sowell with 4,752 votes to Sowell's 1,227. Democrat Congressman Bud Cramer won handily over Republican Gerald Wallace, 4,308 to 1,782. Shelby and Cramer won the statewide race as well.
In races for associate justice of the Supreme Court, Republican Robert Smith defeated Democrat Tom Parker, 3,820 to 2,045, Republican Robert Monroe out-polled Democrat Patti Smith, 3,543 to 1,829; and Republican John Rochester won over Democrat Michael Bolin, 4,026 to 1,845. All three Republicans won on a statewide basis, too.
