From Staff Reports

Thomasville State Trooper Gene Wiggins and Lieutenant Bobby Moore of the Clarke County Sheriff's Department will face one another for the office of Clarke County sheriff in the November general election.

Moore defeated Chief Deputy Donnie Arnold Tuesday to win the Democratic nomination and Wiggins outpolled Jackson Policeman Richard Harvey to win the Republican nomination.

Moore received 3,535 votes to Arnold's 3,323 votes in the tight Democratic race.

The margin was much wider in the Republican primary with Wiggins distancing Harvey, 1505 votes to 591.

The four candidates were all seeking to succeed Sheriff Jack Day who is retiring.

This was the first countywide Republican primary ever in Clarke County and probably the largest Republican vote ever in the county. Out of a total of 9,237 votes cast, 2,185 voters-almost 24 percent-cast GOP ballots.

Wiggins, the first Republican candidate for sheriff in Clarke County thanked his supporters and the other candidates for running a clean race. "We start over now, starting at square one," Wiggins said.

As far as his ground-breaking win in the primary, Wiggins said, "this is a pivotal time in Clarke County. This is the first time we've had a significant number of Republican candidates and we had good people to choose from."

Two adjoining counties will also have new sheriffs next year.

In Choctaw County, former Chief Deputy James Lovette will face current Chief Deputy Lee Henry McGrew in a run-off to succeed the retiring Don Lolley. In Washington County, Mike Barnett and Richard Stringer will be in a run-off to succeed William Wheat who is retiring.

Circuit clerk race

Jay Duke will be moving from the Clarke County Revenue Commissioner's office to the Circuit Clerk's office in January.

He won the Democratic nomination for the clerk's job in Tuesday's voting, outpolling Thomasville municipal court clerk Berneta Stallworth 3,487 to 3,337

The incumbent circuit clerk, Wayne Brunson, is retiring.

There is no Republican candidate and Duke is virtually assured of election in November. The governor-whoever that may be in January-will appoint someone to the revenue commissioner's office when Duke becomes clerk.

County commission races

Elma Averett won the Democratic nomination for the District 1 seat on the Clarke County Commission, receiving 797 votes to Maurice Paul's 708.

There was also a contested Republican primary for the District 1 seat. Henry Burge won it, receiving 161 votes to Milton Estes Sheffield's 130.

The incumbent, Rubye Andrews, is retiring.

Incumbent District 3 Commissioner Patricia DuBose handily won renomination over challenge Thomas E. "Tommy" Deas, 903 to 522.

She will face Clint Odom, the Republican candidate who had no opposition Tuesday, in the November general election.

School board race

T. L. Douglas defeated Mims Hacketts 690 to 439 to win the Democratic nomination afor the District 4 seat on the Clarke County Board of Education. The incumbent, Mae Ella Todd, is retiring. Douglas is virtually assured of election to the post in November.

Other races

Lucy Baxley carried Clarke County, as she did the rest of the state, to win the Democratic nomination for governor. Republican Gov. Bob Riley won locally and statewide too.

Clarke County voters not surprisingly voted overwhelming for an amendment banning same-sex marriages. The amendment carried statewide too.