1990 Scott County Election

The 1990 Scott County General Election was held on Thursday, Aug. 2, 1990. It was an election that saw political newcomer Clarence “Denny” Lowe unseat Dwight Murphy as Scott County Executive, while Jack O. Laxton narrowly defeated Jim Carson to retain his seat as sheriff. It was also the election that saw James L. “Jamie” Cotton Jr. defeat incumbent General Sessions Court Judge Charles B. Sexton.

County Executive

Clarence “Denny” Lowe defeated two-term incumbent Dwight Murphy by a margin of 3,722 to 2,598. Like Murphy, Lowe was an educator and business owner. He owned Lowe’s Truss Co. in Oneida. (Murphy owned Winfield Grocery in Winfield.)

Lowe dominated in his home precinct, Fairview, winning by a margin of 735 to 237. He also narrowly defeated Murphy across the Oneida precincts, winning 357 to 326 in Oneida proper, 394 to 380 in West Oneida, and 114 to 80 in South Oneida.

Murphy did well in his home of Winfield, winning the Winfield precinct 382 to 125 and winning in Pine Hill 97 to 90. But Lowe won the precincts in Robbins, Elgin, Paint Rock, Huntsville and Helenwood.

Murphy would return to defeat Lowe in the 1998 election.

Sheriff

In the 1986 election, former Sheriff Jack Oran Laxton, who had served three terms in the 1960s before leaving office due to term limits, returned to win election in a crowded field following an indictment and prison sentence against Marion Carson. One of the candidates he defeated in that race was Carson’s brother, Jim Carson.

Carson, who had finished third in the 1986 election, competed closely with Laxton in the 1990 election, finishing second. The final tally was 2,622 to 2,149. (Carson would defeat Laxton in the 1994 election.)

The two men ran neck-and-neck in almost every precinct. But Laxton was able to gain separation in Robbins (winning 183 to 95), Oneida proper (253 to 151) and West Oneida (411 to 149).

Also a candidate was Oneida Mayor Denzil Pennington, who finished third with 1,752 votes. Pennington actually won in Oneida proper, capturing 257 votes there.

Other candidates included lawman Ronnie Bond, who finished with 269 votes; Lillard Terry, who finished with 177 votes, and Lawrence Posey Sr., who finished with 153 votes.

Trustee

The most crowded race on the ballot was Trustee, featuring eight candidates. Josh Thompson was retiring after 20 years in office, drawing a large number of candidates to replace him.

James E. “Jim” Posey narrowly won, receiving 1,203 votes. Fewer than 200 votes separated the top four candidates on the ballot, which included:

• Posey: 1,203 votes
• Sandra B. Phillips: 1,135 votes
• Joe Stephens: 1,071 votes
• Paul E. Bilbrey: 1,013 votes

Other candidates included William Jake Sharp, who finished with 834 votes, and Frazier Reagan, who had ran against Thompson in the 1986 election. He finished with 711 votes. Also running were J.D. Murley, with 501 votes, and Donald Gene Cook, with 352 votes.

General Sessions Judge

Oneida attorney James L. “Jamie” Cotton Jr. defeated incumbent General Sessions Judge Charles B. Sexton, also an Oneida attorney, by a final talley of 4,385 to 2,503. Finishing third was Ted Q. Wilson, with 329 votes.

Cotton won all but one precinct: Paint Rock, where Sexton won 137 to 117. Cotton was especially strong in Helenwood, winning 515 to 261; Oneida, winning 586 to 196; and West Oneida, winning 630 to 218.

Cotton would go on to serve as General Sessions Judge until his retirement in 2022.

Circuit Court Clerk

Incumbent Irene C. Chitwood narrowly defeated Jan Burress, 3176 to 2,802. Freda Reed Davis finished third, with 906 votes.

Burress won the Paint Rock, Huntsville and Helenwood precincts, and also picked up wins in Pine Hill, West Oneida, and South Oneida. But Chitwood was strong in the Fairview precinct, winning 506 to 381, while also winning in Robbins and Elgin. A very strong performance in her native Winfield, where she won 344 to 132, helped seal her victory.

Register of Deeds

After narrowly losing to James L. Byrd in the 1986 election, Porter “Benjie” Rector Jr. won in 1990, defeating Byrd 3,426 to 2,143. Don G. Lambert finished third, with 974 votes.

While Byrd won in 1986, Rector won every precinct in 1990, including a 454 to 187 win in West Oneida, where Lambert polled strongly with 159 votes.

Road Superintendent

The political battles of J.D. “Headin” Lay and Ray Hatfield continued in 1990, with Lay winning by a 3,562 to 3,351 count. It was the second race between the two men that came down to the wire, after Lay won by just 125 votes in the 1986 election.

Hatfield was dominant in his native Fairview, winning 820 to 271. But Lay was also dominant in Oneida, winning 475 to 271 in Oneida proper and 632 to 213 in West Oneida.

Uncontested Races

In uncontested races, incumbent County Attorney Tom Phillips received 3,044 courtesy votes; incumbent County Clerk Vesta J. Phillips received 4,392 votes.

8th Judicial District

The 1990 election marked the 8-year election cycle for races in the five-county 8th Judicial District, which consisted of Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress and Union counties, in addition to Scott County.

The only race to feature opposition was Public Defender. Martha Yoakum of Claiborne County defeated John E. Appman in Scott County and across the rest of the district. Locally, the vote count was 2,297 to 1,065.

In the Chancellor’s race, Billy Joe White was unopposed and received 1,862 votes.

In the Criminal Court Judge’s race, Lee Asbury was unopposed and received 2,144 votes.

In the District Attorney General’s race, Scott County’s William Paul Phillips was unopposed and received 2,690 votes.

District Races

*Denotes incumbent

1st District County Commission
R.L. Gibson, 444
Arnold Crowley, 347
Odeva Byrd, 292
Roger D. Chambers, 244
Hoyel Bud Phillips*, 223
Donald Chambers*, 174
Wanda P. Vann, 82
Bobby R. Lawson, 60
Tommy Loyd, 57

1st District Constable
Edward W. Duncan, 406
Teddy Washam, 240
Ralph E. Mason, 188
Gene N. Yaden, 179

2nd District County Commission
Dwayne A. Hamby, 487
Jimmy D. Byrd*, 318
Bobby Lee Burton*, 294
Leonard M. Bertram, 236

2nd District Constable
Marshall S. Bertram, 390
Charles D. Phillips, 221
Albert Wayne Myers, 132

3rd District County Commission
Jan G. Byrd, 466
Tommy Joel Newport*, 360
Ernest Phillips*, 337
Charles “Buster” Sexton, 238
Leroy Sexton, 175
Angela P. Morrow, 104

3rd District School Board
Anthony “Tony” Sexton, 643
Ray Lewallen, 263

3rd District Constable
Elbert King, 573
Ronnie “Joe” Lowe, 222

4th District County Commission
Rothel “Tub” Cross, 362
McKinley “Benny” Zachary*, 349
Bill Ed Thomas*, 231
LA. Newport, 183
Joe A. Marlow, 115

4th District Constable
Ricky C. Duncan*, 410
Curtis Crabtree, 292
Junior Clabe Dolan, 98

5th District County Commission
Jim McCarroll, 308
Roger Bridges, 200 (tie)
Elcaney Eugene Chambers, 200 (tie)
Steve Trammell, 146
John R. Wright, 128
Norman Dwayne Chitwood, 128
Teddy Ray Carson, 96
Wilburn Walker, 50

5th District Constable
Cecil A. King, 255
Delmer Posey, 188
Wallace Trammell, 161
Henry “Chester” Program, 56

6th District County Commission
Pete Burchfield, 337
Hollis Carson, 273
Mary Ellis, 262
Ballard Walker, 234
Opal Chambers, 175

6th District School Board
Jack Crabtree, 381
D.L. Byrd, 251
Charlie F. Duncan, 126

6th District Constable
David Brewster*, 447
Greg Burchfield, 335

7th District County Commission
Rodney West*, 416
Mike W. Slaven, 390
Bryon C. Foster, 320
Kenneth K. Sexton, 289
Duane Limburg, 284
Ernie Newport*, 275
Walter Ray Thomas, 119
Cecil Crowley, 78

7th District Constable
Rick L. Burke, 623
Ronald Thompson, 592

Oneida School Board
Steven A. Phillips, 704
Mike Baker, 696
Thomas Scott Thompson, 606
Richard B. “Dick” Smith, 569
Susan C. Taylor, 517
Rick Hughett, 478