Dead candidate beats incumbent and other news from the areas around Chattanooga

Dead candidate beats incumbent

CENTREVILLE, Ala. - Even a dead Republican beat a Democrat in the GOP's sweep of Alabama.

A Republican nominee who died almost a month before Election Day beat the Democratic incumbent for a seat on the Bibb County Commission on Tuesday.

Probate Judge Jerry Pow says Republican nominee Charles Beasley defeated Democrat Walter Sansing despite having died on Oct. 12. Beasley carried about 52 percent of the votes.

Pow says some voters probably didn't know Beasley died before the election.

The 77-year-old Beasley previously served one term, but Sansing won four years ago.

The ballots were printed before Beasley's death and couldn't be changed before the vote.

Pow says the Bibb County GOP will recommend a successor to Gov. Robert Bentley, who will appoint a new commissioner.


Commissioner write-ins tallied

WALKER COUNTY, Ga. - Election officials in LaFayette, Ga., said Wednesday that Ales Campbell received 5,726 votes in her write-in campaign to unseat incumbent Walker County Sole Commissioner Bebe Heiskell, who received 13,380 votes.

A total of 5,851 write-in votes were cast, but 125 of those were for other people.

"Some were 'Ted Nugent,'" elections Clerk Chuck Fletcher said, referring to the rock guitarist from Detroit.


GOP holds all statewide offices

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama's last Democrat in statewide office, Lucy Baxley, has handed over the presidency of the Public Service Commission to Republican Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh.

Cavanaugh pulled 54 percent of the vote Tuesday and was sworn in as PSC president Wednesday morning. Baxley's staff finished emptying out her office about the same time.


'In God We Trust' on courthouse

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The motto "In God We Trust" is now emblazoned above all four main entrances of the Putnam County Courthouse.

County commissioners approved the adornment at an Oct. 14 meeting, with the cost covered by donations from businesses and individuals. The national motto was placed in a 24-inch space above the columns at each entrance to the century-old courthouse in Cookeville.

County Executive Kim Blaylock told the Cookeville Herald-Citizen she started hearing positive comments from people as soon as the letters went up on Friday.

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