2006 Scott County Election
The 2006 Scott County General Election was held on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006. Precincts included Fairview, Elgin, Robbins, Huntsville, Paint Rock, Helenwood, Pine Hill, Winfield, Oneida, and West Oneida.
The election featured wins by Rick Keeton as County Mayor, Anthony Lay as Sheriff, and Dick Sexton as Road Superintendent.
Voter turnout was 60.2% — 8,364 of 13,891 registered voters participated.
County Mayor
Ricky A. Keeton was a former County Commissioner from the 4th District who was appointed County Mayor when Dwight Murphy resigned to accept a position as president at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology’s Oneida/Huntsville campus. County Commission appointed Keeton to fulfill the remainder of Murphy’s unexpired term.
In the 2006 election, Keeton won election to the office, with 3,395 votes. He defeated future County Mayor Jeff Tibbals, who finished with 2,728 votes; Oneida businessman Harold Brooks, who finished with 1,235 votes; and minister Harry B. Jeffers, who finished with 401 votes.
Sheriff
In the race for Sheriff, three-term incumbent Jim Carson was defeated by one of his former employees, Anthony Lay. Lay finished with 4,163 votes, while Carson finished with 2,182 votes. Lay became the youngest active sheriff in Tennessee.
The shooting death of Deputy John John Yancey factored heavily in the 2006 election.
Also running were retired Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper Eddie R. Pierce, who finished with 1,623 votes; and Ancil D. Chambers, who finished with 285 votes.
Circuit Court Clerk
Sheriff’s Department deputy Donnie Phillips easily won a four-way race to become Circuit Court Clerk, with 4,063 votes. He replaced former County Executive Verda “Buddy” Cope Jr., who had been appointed to the office by Scott County Commission following the death of Jan Burress in 2004. Cope was not seeking election to the office.
Also running were Kay Peavyhouse, who finished with 1,565 votes; Danielle “Dani” Mills, who finished with 1,518 votes; and Pamela Slaven Walker, who finished with 763 votes.
Road Superintendent
Donald “Dick” Sexton, who had first won election in 2002, won re-election in a three-way race that featured two of his opponents from that 2002 election. He received 5,009 votes. Former TDOT supervisor Marvin Miller finished second with 2,447 votes. Former Road Superintendent Ray E. Hatfield finished a distant third with 593 votes.
Unopposed Races
In unopposed races, incumbent Trustee Jimmy D. Byrd won re-election with 6,273 courtesy votes; General Sessions Judge James L. “Jamie” Cotton Jr. won re-election with 5,178 courtesy votes; County Clerk Pat Phillips won re-election with 6,528 courtesy votes; Register of Deeds Porter “Benjie” Rector Jr. won re-election with 6,157 courtesy votes; and County Attorney John Beaty won re-election with 5,443 courtesy votes.
8th Judicial District
The 2006 election featured the eight-year cycle of the 8th Judicial District offices, which also included Campbell County, Claiborne County, Fentress County and Union County.
In Scott County, Oneida attorney Leif Jeffers won handily against incumbent Public Defender Martha Yoakum, 4,864 to 1,415. However, Yoakum narrowly won re-election with a strong showing in her native Claiborne County.
Circuit Court Judge John D. McAfee, Chancellor Billy Joe White, Criminal Court Judge Shayne Sexton and District Attorney General Wm. Paul Phillips were all unopposed.
District Races
* Denotes incumbent
1st District County Commission
Odeva Byrd*, 467
James “Jeff” Watson*, 493
David Jeffers, 456
Larry R. Lay, 408
Loy Dean Hatfield, 311
1st District School Board
Brian Strunk*, 577
Jeff L. Owens, 440
Teresa Silcox Newport, 294
2nd District County Commission
Clyde Zachary, 631
Leonard Bertram*, 401
Karen Myers, 261
Charles D. Phillips, 214
3rd District County Commission
Tommy Joel Newport, 460
Ernest Phillips*, 447
Daniel W. Murley*, 359
Kenneth R. Morrow, 317
Cecil A. Crowley, 129
4th District County Commission
Alan D. Reed, 532
Dennis Lee Sexton, 464
Rick Russ*, 455
John Terry, 175
4th District School Board
James D. Sexton*, 713
5th District County Commission
Paul C. Strunk, 584
Rothel “Tub” Cross*, 468
Harold Chambers*, 445
Joseph Charles Sibley, 207
Robert E. Stanley, 197
5th District School Board
Esther B. Abbott, 574
David Marlar*, 548
6th District County Commission
Ronnie “Ron” Blevins*, 632
Gerry “Greasey” Garrett, 438
Hertis Phillips*, 385
7th District County Commission
Mike Slaven*, 585
Willie Boyatt, 514
Rick L. Burke*, 389
Benny C. Carson, 363
James E. Smith, 163
Larry Levi Smith, 120
Bill West, 128
7th District School Board
Rodney West*, 658
Larry “Buster” Thompson, 579
Oneida School Board
Dorothy Hill Watson, 680
Lori A. Phillips-Jones, 552
Brom Shoemaker*, 421
Scott Thompson, 313