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The 1978 election: close and contested
There were two races that really defined the 1978 general election in Scott County: closely-contested battles for sheriff and road superintendent.
In the sheriff’s race, incumbent Marion Carson was battling against a former sheriff, Jack O. Laxton. In the road superintendent’s race, incumbent William “Dub” Blakley was being challenged by several people, most notably Kenneth K. Sexton.
As Election Day — Aug. 2, 1978 — neared, it was apparent that both races would go to the wire. There was no early voting in those days; with the exception of the few folks who qualified to receive absentee ballots, all voting was done in person at the polls on Election Day. There were often long lines at the polls when the 8 p.m. closing time arrived.
The sheriff’s race was especially intriguing. Jack Laxton had been around law enforcement his entire life. His father, Esau Laxton, had served as sheriff in Scott County in the 1930s. Laxton himself was elected sheriff in 1962, after serving in World War II and a stint in the coal mines. He served three terms before being forced to leave office due to term limits. During that six-year tenure, he had busted 56 moonshine stills — which was said to be a record in Scott County.
But Marion Carson was popular in his own right. He had served as a deputy sheriff under Julius Lewallen, then had run for election in 1976 — against Laxton. Carson won that 1976 race by fewer than 300 votes.
The 1978 election brought a change to the local law enforcement landscape. For decades, sheriffs had served two-year terms. For the first time, whoever was elected in 1978 would serve a four-year term.
Carson and Laxton weren’t the only two candidates in the field. Others included L.C. Chitwood, Larry Duncan, Arnold Lawson, James Roy Sexton and Donnie H. Chitwood. But it was apparent that this was a two-man race at the top of the ballot.
The two men slugged it out — figuratively speaking — throughout 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 in South Oneida, West Oneida and Coopertown.
But Carson did well in Norma and Straight Fork, while also winning Robbins and Elgin, as well as the Huntsville, Helenwood and Paint Rock precincts.
By the time all the votes had been counted, Carson had won a second term, 2,815 to 2,432 — a slightly wider margin than he enjoyed two years earlier. No other candidate in the race received more than 429 votes.
In the road superintendent’s race, meanwhile, Dub Blakley was looking for a second term against Kenneth K. Sexton. Also running were George “Spot” Chambers, L.A. Newport, Paul Henry Adkins, Larry Bradshaw and Sherman “Junior” Walker.
Blakley and Sexton split the vote across several precincts. Sexton narrowly won at Capital Hill, while also picking up wins at Paint Rock, Coopertown, and South Oneida. He won big 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 final tally: one of the closest road superintendent races in county history, with Blakley winning a second term by a count of 1,973 to 1,870. No other candidate received more than 678 votes.
In other races, Vesta J. Phillips won a four-way race for County Clerk, dominating the rest of the field. She received 3,651 votes to 1,074 for her nearest competitor, Charles P. Jeffers. Also running were M.L. Chambers and William Ike Duncan. Phillips won every precinct but Straight Fork, where Chambers won by a 91 to 73 count.
James L. Byrd handedly won a two-way race for Register of Deeds, defeating Chuckie C. Duncan 3,672 to 1,495. Byrd won every precinct across the county.
The other two county-wide races were uncontested. 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.
In district races, Quinton Sharp and Odeva Byrd won election to Scott County Commission in the 1st District, defeating Glen Harness Sr. and Joe Chambers. In the 2nd District, Clyde Zachary and Lawrence Walker won commission seats, defeating Samuel B. Storey, Otto Ellis and William “Monroe” Smith. In the 3rd District, Lonnie Pike and Theodore Burress won commission seats over Sarah “Sug” Phillips, Charles “Spivey” Chitwood, Gerald Hembree, Carlos Jeffers and Fletcher Byrd. Burress defeated Phillips by just five votes. In the 4th District, McKinley “Benny” Zachary and Billy Joe Carson” were elected to County Commission over Lillard Terry, Palm T. Phillips and Harold Wilson. In the 5th District, Dwight Murphy and Clifton Cross won commission seats over Virgil Ross, John King, Floyd F. “Curley” Phillips, Bob Roberts and Marshall Crabtree. In the 6th District, Luke Coffey and Gilbert Creech won commission seats, defeating Pearl Watters. And in the 7th District, James Rodney West and Bill West won commission seats, defeating Dexter Laxton, Mearle Marcum and Robert Queener Jr.
Victorious school board members included Ruth Brawner in the 3rd District, who defeated Lautin Laxton by just 19 votes. Ronald D. Smith and Elvin Byrd Jr. were also candidates. And, in the 6th District, Fred H. Duncan defeated John M. Newport. In the Oneida Special School District, A.K. McCartt was the top vote-getter, with 673. James E. Roark followed with 511. Other candidates included Vester E. Blevins, Marjorie Tibbals, Susan C. Taylor and O.E. Chambers.
Constable races were won by Lee Cross (over Fenley G. Harness) in the 1st District, W. Frazier Reagan (over Freddie Sexton, Dinah Lewallen, Roy Overton and Charles R. Harvey) in the 2nd District, Elbert King (over Alvin McDonald, Rufus Hembree, Lindsey Sexton, James H. West, Ruble Sexton and Oval Chambers) in the 3rd District, Charles R. Jeffers (over Arthur Joe Davis and Walter Junior Wilson) in the 4th District, Elcaney Eugene Chambers (over J.T. Hall, Junior Frye, James L. Phillips, Wallace Trammell, James Chitwood Jr., Robert Stanley, Jerome Miller and Earl Alva German) in the 5th District, and Cecil Crowley (over Garland M. Watson) in the 7th District.
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◼️ Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
◼️ Tuesday: Echoes in Time (stories of our history)
◼️ Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
◼️ Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
◼️ Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
◼️ Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)