GOP sweeps county races
By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
The Republican Party added a new chapter to its domination in county government by making a clean sweep of races up for grabs in Tuesday’s General Election.
Winners were Greg Bartlett for sheriff, Shelly Slate Waters for district court judge, Greg Cain for probate judge, Jeff Clark and Ken Livingston for commissioner, Bob Balch for Morgan Co. Superintendnet and Kenneth Henson for Morgan Co. School Board.
More than 34,000 of the county’s approximately 64,000 registered voters cast ballots. Of that number, 23,913 voted for candidates in both parties.
Bartlett prevailed in a hotly-contested race for a second term as sheriff after surviving a challenge by District 4 Commissioner Stacy George in the June Primary. He won over Democratic nominee Tom Little, a former Morgan County chief deputy. Bartlett received 17,592 (53.48 percent) votes while Little polled 15,268 (46.4 percent).
Bartlett acknowledged that Little was a worthy opponent and thanked him for running a clean campaign.
Cain, a political newcomer, edged out his Democratic opponent, Kimberly Dobbs Ramey, in a wide open probate judge’s race. The Decatur police officer polled 17,094 voters (53.30%)
compared to Ramey’s 14,954 (46.43%) votes. He will follow in the footsteps of Bobby Day who is retiring after serving in the office for four consecutive terms.
Waters polled 19,077 (58.27%) votes in her win over Democratic challenger Catherine Phillips Halbrooks who garnered 13,627 (42.62%) votes. She has appointed to the position after winning the Republican nomination in June.
In the District 1 Commissioner’s race, incumbent Jeff Clark defeated his Democratic opponent, Murphy Brown, 19,159 (60.08%) to 12,652 (39.88%) votes.
Livingston polled 17, 466 (55.67%) votes in defeating Democratic challenger Ronnie Shipley who garnered 13,895 (44.29%) votes.
Balch emerged the winner in the Morgan County School Superintendent’s race by polling 7,720 (58.12%) votes. His Democratic challenger, Bruce Kimbrell, received 5,551 (41.79%) votes.
Henson claimed the District 1 seat on the Morgan County Board of Education by polling 6,441 (53.21%” votes. His Democratic opponent and incumbent, Billy Rhodes, received 5,653 (46.70%) votes.
