1986 Scott County Election
The 1986 Scott County Election saw incumbent Scott County Executive Dwight Murphy narrowly defeat former County Executive Verda “Buddy” Cope to retain his seat, while Jack O. Laxton won in a very crowded field to be named Scott County Sheriff.
County Executive
In a three-way race, incumbent Dwight Murphy defeated Verda “Buddy” Cope Jr. and Jean H. Sexton to win a second four-year term as Scott County Executive.
Murphy, a former school teacher from Winfield who also owned Winfield Grocery, had first been elected in 1982. In the 1986 face-off, he received 3,524 votes to Cope’s 3,252. Sexton received 207 votes.
Murphy dominated in his home of Winfield, receiving 423 votes to Cope’s 119. But he was also able to win by making serious inroads in Cope’s home of Robbins, where Cope out-polled him just 342 to 292.
Cope won the Fairview and Elgin precincts, in addition to Robbins, and also captured the South Oneida precinct. But Murphy won everywhere else. The two men were very competitive in Huntsville, where Murphy edged Cope by just two votes, 313 to 311, and Oneida, where Murphy won 381 to 358.
Murphy would go on to serve as County Executive for a total of 16 years. He was defeated by Clarence “Denny” Lowe in the 1990 election, but defeated Lowe in 1998 and won re-election in 2002.
Sheriff
In the aftermath of Marion Carson‘s indictment by a federal grand jury and subsequent arrest, the 1986 sheriff’s election was one of the most crowded races in history. A total of 11 men squared off for the vacant office.
Jack Oran Laxton was ultimately elected. Laxton had been sheriff for three terms in the 1960s before leaving office due to term limits. He won with 2,237 votes.
Finishing second was Norman C. Acres, a World War II veteran who worked as a special investigator for the office of District Attorney General. Acres received 1,853 votes.
Jim Carson, who was Marion Carson’s brother, finished third with 1,486 votes. He would later defeat Laxton in the 1994 election, and served a total of 12 years as sheriff.
For all intent and purpose, the campaign for sheriff was a three-man race between Laxton, Acres and Carson. Laxton enjoyed a big win in the Fairview community, and also did well in his native Oneida, winning the Ponderosa, West Oneida and South Oneida precincts.
Acres did best in the Robbins precinct, and also won in Huntsville and Helenwood.
Carson won in Paint Rock and Winfield.
Other candidates in the race included:
• Oneida lawman MacArthur Burchfield, who polled well in Oneida and West Oneida and finished with 713 votes.
• Robbins lawman Douglas Griffith, who won in Elgin and finished strong in Robbins, and finished with 555 votes.
• James E. Coffey, 190 votes.
• Robby Carson Jr., the son of former Oneida mayor Robert Carson and a future chief detective under Sheriff Jim Carson, 143 votes.
• Elbert “Ebb” King, 126 votes.
• Mack C. Dobbs, 30 votes.
• Everett Overton, 12 votes.
• Roy Welch, 7 votes.
County Attorney
In an uncontested race, Tommy Phillips was elected County Attorney with 4,013 courtesy votes. Phillips would go on to serve as a federal judge, appointed by President George W. Bush.
Trustee
C.J. “Josh” Thompson defeated Frazier Reagan in a two-way race for Trustee, receiving 4,011 votes to Reagan’s 2,383.
Thompson did extremely well in his native Oneida, winning Oneida property by a count of 542 to 147, and West Oneida by a margin of 590 to 217. He won by a 150 to 59 margin in South Oneida, and by a 224 to 86 margin in Ponderosa.
Reagan won in the Elgin and Robbins precincts.
It was Thompson’s fifth consecutive term in office. He was first elected in 1970.
Circuit Court Clerk
Irene C. Chitwood defeated Betty C. Slaven in a two-way race for Circuit Court Clerk, winning by a 5,162 to 1,201 margin.
Chitwood won every precinct to secure the victory.
County Clerk
In an uncontested race, Vesta J. Phillips was elected County Clerk with 5,352 courtesy votes.
Register of Deeds
James L. Byrd narrowly defeated Porter “Benjie” Rector Jr. in a five-way race for Register of Deeds. Byrd received 2,151 votes to Rector’s 2,018.
Rector would later be elected Register of Deeds in 1990.
Also running were J.C. Strunk, who received 1,122 votes; Larry R. Owens, who received 1,047 votes; and Dorothy Olinger King, who received 567 votes.
Road Superintendent
J.D. “Headin” Lay narrowly defeated Ray E. Hatfield to win re-election as Road Superintendent, winning by a margin of 2,953 to 2,828. Hatfield dominated in his home precinct of Fairview, winning by a 741 to 199 margin. He also won in Robbins, Elgin, Paint Rock, Huntsville and Helenwood. But Lay dominated in Oneida, winning West Oneida by a 625 to 137 margin, and winning Oneida proper by a 441 to 140 margin. Lay also won by a 247 to 50 margin in Ponderosa.
Also in the race were Roger Bridges, who finished with 886 votes, and L.A. Chambers, who finished with 248 votes.
District Races
1st District County Commission
Hoyel “Bud” Phillips, 373
Donald Chambers, 313
Paul Shoopman, 306
Odeva Byrd, 240
James H. Marlow, 160
David R. Jeffers, 147
Eugene Lawson, 111
Johnnie Owens, 92
Bobby R. Lawson, 90
Edward Harness, 86
Paul David Adkins, 77
Oval Chambers, 22
1st District School Board
Mack A. Byrd, 559
Johnny Lee Watson, 516
1st District Constable
Maynard West, 278
Edward W. Duncan, 277
Raymond Reed, 262
Lee Cross, 154
Kenneth Elmer Lowe, 115
Lonas Lowe, 103
2nd District County Commission
Bobby L. Burton, 600
Jimmy D. Byrd, 436
Lawrence Walker, 419
Frank Hutson, 181
Charles E. Sexton, 100
2nd District Constable
Quinthony B. Griffith, 358
Charles D. Phillips, 275
Harold Dean Griffith, 151
Ronnie W. Smithers, 145
Dennis Myers, 68
3rd District County Commission
Ernest Phillips, 319
Tommy Joel Newport, 302
Charles “Buster” Sexton, 251
Milford “Spot” Chambers, 236
Andrew R. Tillman, 157
L.B. Crabtree, 150
Larry R. West, 150
Gerald D. Hembree, 143
C.R. Detharidge, 83
3rd District Constable
Lindsey Sexton, 305
Ralph Phillips, 301
Manuel E. Strunk, 160
James West, 141
4th District County Commission
Bill Ed Thomas, 384
McKinley Zachary, 339
Billy Joe Carson, 237
Thomas E. Daugherty, 199
Lillard Terry, 121
Joseph D. Davidson, 83
4th District School Board
James D. Sexton, 548
4th District Constable
Ricky Charles Duncan, 373
Arie Williams, 277
Curtis Crabtree, 195
5th District County Commission
Paul D. Stanley, 301
Harold Lee Chambers, 245
Elcany E. Chambers, 223
Larry Fults, 198
Clifton Cross, 131
5th District Constable
Steve Trammell, 242
Wallace Trammell, 167
Mark W. Chitwood, 113
Ben Roberts, 61
6th District County Commission
Ken Hughett, 465
Luke Coffey, 363
Ballard Walker, 306
Jeffrey B. King, 110
6th District Constable
David Brewster, 338
Lebert “Red” Jeffers, 247
Junior Clab Dolan, 148
7th District County Commission
Rodney West, 542
Ernest M. Newport, 317
Lewis “Lew” Sexton, 288
Walter Ray Thomas, 253
Norma Terry Mabe, 250
James L. Claborn, 82
7th District School Board
Lillard Miller, 604
Bobby Lee Smith, 510
7th District Constable
Rudolph Slaven, 525
Bobby Joe Davidson Jr., 397
Oneida School Board
A.K. McCartt, 773
Rick Hughett, 634
Susan C. Taylor, 511
Vester E. Blevins, 520
Additionally, a referendum on whether to extend term extensions for Oneida School Board members passed by a vote of 634 to 292.