Reynolds wins commission seat
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Political newcomer Karean Reynolds, who recently became the first person of color to earn membership in the Escambia County Bar Association, defeated incumbent District 5 County Commissioner David Quarker in the June 5 primary.
Only 825 of the district’s registered voters turned out to decide who would represent them on the county commission for the next four years. Reynolds was named on 572 of the ballots, giving him 69.33 percent of the vote, while Quarker drew 253 votes.
Reynolds gained his largest winning margins at Atmore City Hall, where he received a 284-109 advantage over the incumbent commissioner. That margin was only slightly smaller at New Order Missionary Baptist Church, where Reynolds won by a 259-127 margin.
He also was tabbed by 26 of the 40 voters at Nokomis, and was the candidate of choice for the only person who cast a ballot at Little River Store. He and Quarker split the four absentee ballots cast.
In the gubernatorial primaries, Escambia County Republicans voted overwhelmingly for incumbent Kay Ivey, who outpolled three opponents without a runoff. It was the same for Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, as local Democrats helped give him a statewide primary win over four opponents, also without a runoff.
Ivey and Maddox will go head-to-head in the November 6 General Election.
In voting for two other statewide posts, Escambia County voters gave an overwhelming majority to one candidate who hails from Atmore, while slightly rejecting the other.
Steve Marshall, who spent his younger years in Atmore, drew 151 votes less than Troy King in local voting for Attorney General. The two finished just as close statewide, and will face each other in a runoff on July 17.
Atmore native Lyn Stuart earned an almost 3-1 advantage over Justice Tom Parker in Escambia County voting for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, but statewide balloting gave Parker the edge over the incumbent Chief Justice.
A summary of countywide voting in the primaries:
REPUBLICAN
Governor
Kay Ivey: 2,564
Scott Dawson: 311
Tommy Battle: 293
Bill Hightower: 184
Attorney General
Troy King – 1,087
Steve Marshall – 936
Chess Bedsole – 606
Alice Martin – 420
Chief Justice-Supreme Court
Lyn Stuart – 2,243
Tom Parker – 812
Lt. Governor
Twinkle Cavanaugh – 2,172
Rusty Glover – 559
Will Ainsworth – 411
Assoc. SC Justice (1)
Sarah Hicks Stewart – 1,130
Brad Mendheim – 963
Debra Jones – 542
Assoc. SC Justice (4)
Jay Mitchell – 1,639
John Bahakel – 612
Court-Civil Appeals (1)
Christy Olinger Edwards: 982
Michelle Manley Thomason: 734
Pat Thetford: 484
Court-Civil Appeals (2)
Chad Hanson: 1,142
Teri W. Thomas: 1,060
Court-Crim. Appeals (1)
Richard Minor: 1,356
Riggs Walker: 762
Court-Crim. Appeals (2)
Rich Anderson: 941
Chris McCool: 743
Dennis O’Dell: 463
Court-Crim. Appeals (3)
Bill Cole: 1,377
Donna Beaulieu: 788
Secretary of State
John Merrill: 1,684
Michael Johnson: 801
State Treasurer
John McMillan: 2,019
Stephen D. Evans: 332
David L. Black: 317
State Auditor
Jim Zeigler: 1,701
Stan Cooke: 725
Elliott Lipinsky: 256
Comm.-Agric./Ind.
Rick Pate: 881
Cecil Murphy: 662
Gerald Dial: 461
Tracy Crane: 368
PSC-Place 1
Jim Bonner: 1,656
Jeremy Oden: 888
PSC-Place 2
Chris Beeker Jr.: 1,451
Robin Litaker: 646
DEMOCRAT
Governor
Walt Maddox: 889
Sue Bell Cobb: 492
Doug Smith: 101
James Fields: 95
U.S. Rep.-District 1
Robert Kennedy Jr.: 1,416
Lizzetta H. McConnell: 222
Attorney General
Chris Christie: 1,067
Joseph Siegelman: 545
Secretary of State
Heather Milam: 1,087
Lula Albert: 469
Harriet J. Hubbard: 70