BY HANNAH LESTER
HLESTER@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
ALABAMA —
Auburn Council Member Jay Hovey beat incumbent Tom Whatley for Alabama Senate District 27 after provisional ballots were counted Tuesday.
Hovey received four provisional ballots in Lee County while Whatley received six. However, once combined with the other two counties — Tallapoosa and Russell — Hovey came out ahead by one vote.
Whatley still has time to ask for a recount, though; for now, Hovey has won the seat.
“Well it’s obviously a little surreal,” Hovey said. “… You know, we’ve joked this whole week, after the fact, that every vote counts and obviously it comes down to one vote and it’s never been more true.”
The results have not been certified by the secretary of state as of press time.
Hovey and Whatley are both natives of Lee County and Hovey said having the support of Lee County “means the world to me.”
“I appreciate everyone in Lee County showing up and supporting me,” he said. “It’s obviously something to be very proud of. My whole team is very proud of the results.”
Now, there is a democratic candidate, Opelika resident Sherri Reese, who will run against Hovey in November for the senate seat.
“As it comes down to today, that one extra [vote] makes all the difference,” Hovey said.
In the local Lee County Commission races, John Andrew Harris maintained the lead he had on Richard LaGrand Sr. for Lee County Commission District 5, since both candidates received four provisional votes.
Lee County Commission District 4 will face a runoff between Tony Langley and Robert Ham. The third candidate, Greg Boddie, received the most provisional ballots of the three candidates with nine votes while the other two both received three.
Other results from the provisional ballots in Lee County are as follows. These are only provisional votes and only in Lee County.
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES:
Governor:
– Kay Ivey – 12
– Lindy Blanchard – 8
– Tim James – 5
– Alan Odle – 3
U.S. Senator
Katie Britt – 17
Mo Brooks – 8
Mike Durant – 3
U.S. Representative 3rd Congressional District
Mike Rogers – 21
Michael Joiner – 4
Attorney General:
Steve Marshall – 17
Harry Bartlett Still III – 5
State Senator District No. 13:
Randy Price – 16
John Allen Coker – 1
State Representative District No. 38:
Debbie Hamby Wood – 6
Micah J. Messer – 5
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Place 5:
Greg Cook – 12
Debra Jones – 11
Secretary of State
Jim Zeigler – 11
Wes Allen – 8
Ed Packard – 3
Christian Horn – 2
State Auditor
Rusty Glover – 12
Andrew Sorrell – 6
Stan Cooke – 4
Public Service Commission Place No. 1:
Jeremey Oden – 7
Brent Woodall – 5
John Hammock – 5
Stephen McLamb – 3
Public Service Commission Place No. 2:
Robert McCollum – 12
Chip Beeker – 4
Robin Litaker – 4
State Board of Education District Place No. 2:
Tracie West – 16
Alex Balkcum – 9
Circuit Court Judge 37th Judicial Circuit Place No. 1:
Jeff Tickal – 19
Eli Beaver – 8
Lee County Commission District 4:
Greg Boddie – 9
Tony Langley – 3
Robert Ham – 3
Lee County Board of Education District 2:
Larry Boswell – 1
Rusty Courson – 0
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES:
Governor:
Malika Sanders Fortier – 6
Yolanda Rochelle Flowers – 5
Patricia Jamieson – 1
Arthur Kennedy – 0
Chad ‘Chig’ Martin – 1
Doug “New Blue” Smith – 1
U.S. Senator:
Will Boyd – 7
Brandon Dean – 4
Lanny Jackson – 2
State Representative District No. 82:
Terrence Kareem Johnson – 2
Pebblin Walker Warren – 1
Lee County Commission District 5:
Richard LaGrand Sr. – 4
John Andrew Harris – 4
State Democratic Executive Committee (Female) District No. 79:
Laticia T. Khalif – 1
Nancy Carlton Bendinger – 0
Alexia Wax Thomas – 0
State Democratic Executive Committee (Female) District No. 83:
Patsy Boyd-Parker – 2
Jasponica Florence – 2
State Democratic Executive Committee (Male) District No. 81:
Ira J. Moss – 0
Messiah Williams-Cole – 0
State-wide Amendment:
Yes – 10
No – 3