2010 Scott County Election
The 2010 Scott County General Election was held on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010. It featured wins by Jeff Tibbals as County Mayor, Mike Cross as Sheriff, and Dick Sexton as Road Superintendent. Precincts included Fairview, Robbins, Elgin, Huntsville, Paint Rock, Helenwood, Pine Hill, Winfield, Oneida and West Oneida.
The 2010 election marked the first time a woman was elected to Scott County Commission. June Jeffers, a retired postmaster from the Mt. View community in Robbins, won election to represent the 2nd District on County Commission.
Voter turnout was 50.1% — 7,462 of 14,904 registered voters participated.
County Mayor
Jeff Tibbals, the son of former Hartco owner Howard Tibbals, defeated incumbent Ricky A. Keeton in a rematch of the 2006 election. Tibbals finished with 4,479 votes, while Keeton finished with 1,199 votes.
Other candidates included Oneida businessman Harold Brooks, who finished with 925 votes; minister Ed King, who finished with 555 votes; and Robert “Speedy” Blevins, who finished with 91 votes.
The “Great Recession” that began in 2007 factored heavily in the election. The Armstrong hardwood flooring plant — formerly Hartco — had shuttled operations earlier in 2010, resulting in a mass layoff.
Sheriff
Oneida Chief of Police Mike Cross won a tightly-contested battle to replace Anthony Lay, with 1,975 votes in a seven-way race.
Lay had won election in the 2006 election, defeating three-term incumbent Jim Carson. After the qualifying deadline had passed for the 2010 election, Lay resigned to take a position with the U.S. Marshal Service.
Lay was still on the ballot in 2010, but did not campaign and finished with 69 votes.
Carson finished second in 2010, with 1,643 votes.
Bobby Ellis, who was Lay’s chief deputy, mounted a write-in campaign and finished third, with 1,478 votes.
Finishing fourth was Winfield’s Brad Lay, with 1,388 votes. Robbins lawman Brian Keeton finished with 565 votes, and Doc Hall finished with 193 votes.
Keeton would return to politics to win election in 2022 after a stint as chief of police in Caryville, Tenn.
Unopposed Races
A number of incumbents ran unopposed in 2010 and won re-election. Among them:
• Trustee Jim D. Byrd, who finished with 5,648 votes.
• Circuit Court Clerk Ronnie Phillips, who finished with 5,926 votes.
• County Clerk Pat Phillips, who finished with 6,121 votes.
• Register of Deeds Porter “Benjie” Rector Jr., who finished with 5,972 votes.
• County Attorney John Beaty, who finished with 5,467 votes.
• Road Superintendent Donald “Dick” Sexton, who finished with 5,417 votes.
District Races
1st District County Commission
David “Blue” Day, 512
David R. Jeffers, 422
Michael Massengale, 359
Michael Ray Byrd, 204
Wade Gunter, 162
Barney Moffitt, 68
1st District School Board
Brian Strunk*, 803
2nd District County Commission
Sam Lyles, 401
June Jeffers, 315
Linda H. Overton, 253
Jim Reed, 231
Dickey R. Bertram, 181
Darrell Boles, 170
3rd District County Commission
Kenny R. Morrow, 448
Ernest Phillips*, 405
Curtis L. Carson, 239
Kris D. Lewallen, 155
Greg “Podge” Burchfield, 114
Angie King, 102
4th District County Commission
Alan D. Reed*, 469
Dennis Lee Sexton*, 341
Brian J. Armstrong, 339
Paul House, 177
Jerry W. Byrge, 110
Terry M. Yancey, 84
4th District School Board
James D. Sexton*, 675
5th District County Commission
Paul C. Strunk*, 473
Harold L. Chambers, 363
John L. Strunk, 292
Rothel “Tub” Cross*, 287
Joe “Buster” Marlow II, 209
Carolyn Lay, 145
Wilburn Walker, 56
5th District School Board
Esther B. Abbott*, 762
6th District County Commission
Ronnie “Ron” Blevins*, 489
Gerry “Greasey” Garrett*, 456
Donald R. “Donnie” Bowlin, 320
6th District School Board
Richard J. Smith, 575
7th District County Commission
Mike Slaven*, 737
Willie D. Boyatt*, 612
Richard Bruce Slaven, 331
Paul Burke, 301
Tommy R. Jeffers, 169
7th District School Board
John Vernon Thompson, 622
Byron Foster, 466
Raymond Thompson, 179
Oneida School Board
Dorothy Hill Watson*, 501
Lori A. Phillips-Jones*, 440
Mark J. Matthews, 361
Max Huff, 319
Tommy Bell, 247
Floyd “Brom” Shoemaker II, 218