1978 Scott County Election
The 1978 Scott County General Election was held on Thursday, Aug. 2, 1978. It was a race that saw William “Dub” Blakley win re-election in a heated race for road superintendent, while Marion Carson won a narrow election as sheriff.
Sheriff
Marion Carson, who had served as deputy sheriff under Julius Lewallen, narrowly defeated former sheriff Jack O. Laxton, 2,815 to 2,432, to win a second term. It was his second term as sheriff. He had first won in 1976, defeating Laxton by a slightly narrower margin of fewer than 300 votes. It was the last time that the sheriff’s election was for a two-year term.
The two men slugged it out throughout the various precincts in Scott County. As expected, Laxton performed well in Oneida; he won Oneida proper by just three votes, 327 to 324, but enjoyed slightly wider margins of victory at South Oneida, West Oneida, and Coopertown. But Carson did well at Norma and Straight Fork, while also winning Robbins and Elgin, as well as the Huntsville, Helenwood and Paint Rock precincts.
There were several other men in the race. The complete breakdown:
• Marion Carson – 2,815
• Jack Laxton – 2,432
• L.C. Chitwood – 429
• Larry Duncan – 344
• Arnold Lawson – 86
• James Roy Sexton – 42
• Donnie H. Chitwood – 34
County Clerk
Vesta J. Phillips won election to the County Clerk’s office in a four-way race, dominating the rest of the field. She received 3,651 votes to 1,074 for her nearest competitor, Charles P. Jeffers. M.L. Chambers received 835 votes, and William Ike Duncan received 137 votes.
Phillips won every precinct but Straight Fork, where Chambers won by a 91 to 73 count.
Register of Deeds
In a two-way race for Register of Deeds, James L. Byrd won handily, defeated Chuckie C. Duncan 3,672 to 1,495. Byrd won every precinct.
Road Superintendent
In a heated race for Road Superintendent, incumbent William “Dub” Blakley held off his nearest challenger, Kenneth K. Sexton, winning 1,973 to 1,870.
The two men split the vote across several precincts. Sexton narrowly won the Capital Hill precinct, while also picking up wins at Paint Rock, Coopertown, South Oneida, and big wins in Oneida proper and West Oneida, where he won by tallies of 372 to 135 and 320 to 109. But Blakley won everywhere else, except Pine Hill, where the two men tied, with 66 votes apiece.
The total breakdown:
• William “Dub” Blakley – 1,973
• Kenneth K. Sexton – 1,870
• George M. “Spot” Chambers – 678
• L.A. Newport – 533
• Paul Henry Adkins – 408
• Larry Bradshaw – 332
• Sherman “Junior” Walker – 235
Uncontested Races
In uncontested races, C.J. “Josh” Thompson won re-election to the Trustee’s office with 3,904 courtesy votes, while Odie Phillips won the Circuit Court Clerk’s office with 3,719 courtesy votes.
District Races
1st District County Commission
Quinton Sharp, 573
Odeva Byrd, 383
Glen Harness Sr., 338
Joe Chambers, 239
1st District Constable
Lee Cross, 626
Fenley G. Harness, 204
2nd District County Commission
Clyde Zachary, 451
Lawrence Walker, 339
Samuel B. Storey, 310
Otto Ellis, 159
William “Monroe” Smith, 95
2nd District Constable
W. Frazier Reagan, 312
Freddie Sexton, 155
Dinah Lewallen, 152
Roy Overton, 120
Charles R. Harvey, 59
3rd District County Commission
Lonnie Pike, 539
Theodore “Ted” Burress, 217
Sarah “Sug” E. Phillips, 212
Charles “Spivey” Chitwood, 184
Gerald Hembree, 176
Carlos L. Jeffers, 108
Fletcher Byrd, 55
3rd District School Board
Ruth Brawner, 349
Lautin Laxton, 330
Ronald D. Smith, 176
Elvin Byrd Jr., 56
3rd District Constable
Elbert King, 345
Alvin McDonald, 276
Rufus Hembree, 253
Lindsey Sexton, 148
James H. West, 144
Ruble Sexton, 112
Oval Chambers, 70
4th District County Commission
McKinley “Benny” Zachary, 337
Billy Joe Carson, 238
Lillard Terry, 199
Palm T. Phillips, 168
Harold Wilson, 58
4th District Constable
Charles R. Jeffers, 386
Arthur Joe Davis, 158
Walter Junior Wilson, 72
5th District County Commission
Dwight E. Murphy, 572
Clifton Cross, 252
Virgil Ross, 249
John King, 155
Floyd F. “Curley” Phillips, 84
Bob Roberts, 33
Marshall Crabtree, 28
5th District Constable
Elcaney Eugene Chambers, 180
J.T. Hall, 137
Junior Frye, 128
James L. Phillips, 123
Wallace Trammell, 98
James Chitwood Jr., 67
Robert Stanley, 54
Jerome Miller, 40
Earl Alva German, 14
6th District County Commission
Luke Coffey, 548
Gilbert Creech, 445
Pearl Watters, 116
6th District School Board
Fred H. Duncan, 418
John M. Newport, 247
7th District County Commission
James Rodney West, 393
Bill West, 331
Dexter Laxton, 153
Mearle Marcum, 96
Robert Queener Jr., 77
7th District Constable
Cecil Crowley, 342
Garland M. Watson, 166
Oneida School Board
A.K. McCartt, 673
James E. Roark, 511
Vester E. Blevins, 480
Marjorie Tibbals, 416
Susan C. Taylor, 361
O.E. Chambers, 163