Commission shake up
By Staff
Jonathan Willis
Franklin County voters made a statement Tuesday as they voted one county commissioner out of office and sent three more into run-offs.
Don Hastings defeated incumbent Norris Lewey in the district 4 race, unseating the county's first ever three-term commissioner. Hastings outpolled Lewey 2,574 to 2,333.
"I'm tickled to death," Hastings said. "We fought a good fight and kept it clean. It was a close race."
Hastings will face Republican Scotty Raper in the November general election.
"I want to thank all of my supporters and I hope we can keep working together for the good of the county."
Lewey thanked his supporters, but said he understood that voters wanted a change.
"When you are in it as long as I was, you will get beat sometime," he said. "When they want a change, I am ready to let them have it."
The three other current commissioners will be in a run-off on July 15.
District 1 newcomer Stratt Byars barely missed winning that race by gaining more than 48 percent of the vote. He will face two-term commissioner Jackie Bradford in the run-off.
"This has been a good, hard fought but clean race and I appreciate the people of the county who have supported me," Byars said.
Bradford said he would continue trying to reach as many people as he can over the next six months.
"All I can do is let people know where I stand."
Commissioner Gene Graham will face Howard Hutcheson, of Phil Campbell, in the run-off. Graham received 47 percent of the vote, while Hutcheson got 34 percent. Jerry King captured almost 1,000 votes to finish in third place.
"I did quite well and all I can do is see as many people as I can," Graham said.
Hutcheson said he would try to get King's supporters to get behind him.
"I am going to have to see his people and talk to a few more people,' he said. "I saw a lot of people, now I need to see the rest of them."
In the closest race of the day, three candidates tallied over 1,000 votes in the District 3 race.
Commissioner Rayburn Massey advanced to the run-off by receiving 1,960 votes to Greg Smith's 1,715. Donnie Horton finished with 1,253 votes.
"When you serve the people of the county for 3 1/2 years by being honest, hard-working and dependable, I don't know what else to offer," Massey said. "If I am fortunate enough to be re-elected I have all of those same traits and qualities if that's what the people want."
Smith said he would campaign the next six weeks just as he has been doing.
"I am just going to keep being myself," he said. "I want to see progress and help the employees of the county and the fire departments. I didn't make any promises because I don't know what I have to work with."
