It's official: Aaberg out

Recount confirms election night result in county attorney race

Published Thursday, March 20, 2008

By Brian Knox

The three-person race for county attorney is now officially down to two people.

Thomas Aaberg, who faced James Stainton and Marilyn Belew in the March 4 Republican primary, was unsuccessful in his bid to make the runoff when a recount Monday did not change the election-night outcome.

A recount was held Monday in the office of Election Administrator Lannie Noble.

Wise County Republican Party Chairman Allen Williamson said the numbers were the same as on election night except that Belew did pick up one vote from a mail-in ballot from military personnel. Ballots by mail postmarked by 7 p.m. on election day from outside of the United States could be accepted until March 10.

James Stainton received the most votes of the three candidates in the March primary election with 2,026. Marilyn Belew received 1,519 and Aaberg gathered 1,485 votes. Since no candidate received at least 50 percent of the vote plus one vote, the candidates receiving the top two vote totals will face each other in a runoff election April 8.

After the election, Aaberg said he requested the recount due to the 33-vote difference between his total and Belew's total.

On Tuesday, Aaberg said he appreciated the work of Noble and his staff and was satisfied that every vote was checked.

"The system worked like it was supposed to," Aaberg said. " ... Everything was fine. As close as it was, I had to check it. These are the results. I can't say I'm necessarily happy with it."

He declined to give support to one of the two remaining candidates.

"Right now I'm staying neutral," he said. "Both are very good attorneys and both would be great (county attorneys)."

With no Democratic opponent in the race, the winner of April's runoff election will be the next county attorney.

Two other Republican races will be included in the April 8 runoff - Precinct 1 commissioner and Precinct 4 constable.

Precinct 1 incumbent Commissioner Robert Rankin will face opponent Danny White. White received the most votes in the primary race with 591 or 42.2 percent, while Rankin received 517 or 36.9 percent.

The winner of the runoff will face Democratic challenger Jim Popp in the general election. Popp was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Kevin Huffman, who picked up the endorsement of Sheriff David Walker and former Sheriff Phil Ryan this week, will face Gary Emmert for Precinct 4 constable. In the primary, Huffman received 518 votes or 38.4 percent while Emmert received 448 votes or 33.2 percent.

The Precinct 4 constable race did not attract a Democratic challenger.

Early voting in the runoff election is March 31 through April 4, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily at the Decatur Civic Center. Runoff election day voting is 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at the same polling locations as the primary election.

Those who voted in the Republican primary, or registered voters who did not vote in the primary elections, are eligible to vote in the GOP runoffs.