Staff Report

As many analysts were predicting, Harlan County voters turned out in large numbers Tuesday to cast votes for Republican Candidate Mitt Romney in his bid to unseat President Barack Obama.

With lines being reported at precincts in the county at times during the day, and extra machines brought to precincts to handle the large turnout, Harlan County residents cast 8,652 votes for the Romney/Paul Ryan ticket in a clear protest to the reported “War on Coal” sweeping through the Appalachian coalfields.

Obama, meanwhile, managed to capture 1,280 votes in the county despite a campaign that has clearly been targeted as being against the coal industry.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala received 30 votes. Independent candidate Randall A. Terry/Missy Reilly Smith received 64 votes. Libertarian Gary Johnson/James P. Gray received 81 votes in the county.

Other winners with all 36 Harlan County precincts (including absentees) reporting were:

STATE REPRESENTATIVES

Democrat Fitz Steele, 84th District, 2,531 votes (unopposed)

Republican Tim Couch, 90th District, 1,274 votes; (unopposed)

Democrat Leslie Combs-D, 94th District, 667 votes (unopposed).

Incumbent candidate Rick Nelson-D, 87th District won with 2,408 votes. He was challenged by Republican Joshua D. Howard, who received 1,052 votes.

COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY

Democrat Steven Parker Boggs, who was unopposed for Harlan County Commonwealth Attorney, received 7,300 votes.

COUNTY COURT CLERK

Democrat Donna G. Hoskins, who was unopposed for the County Court Clerk, received 8,260 votes.

JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT

Incumbent Will T. Scott won with 4,700 votes against his opponent, Janet Stumbo,who received 3,621 votes in this non-partisan race.

CITY COUNCILS

Winners for Benham City Council were: Howard White with 171 votes, David Kidwell with 163 votes, Robert “Monk” Falls with 148 votes, Wanda Compton Humphrey with 138 votes, George C. Massey Sr. with 135 votes and Doug Robinson with 115 votes.

Winners for Cumberland were: Leslie C. Bush with 381 votes, Yvonne Gilliam with 374 votes, Jerry Gilliam with 357 votes, Carolyn Elliott with 353 votes, Charles Raleigh with 309 votes, David C. Dixon 282 votes, and a tie between Carla J. Barrett and Ronald Jarvis, both with 214 votes each.

Winners for Evarts were: Clark Cusick Sr. with 244 votes, Jackie Renfro with 230 votes, Larry Caudill with 215 votes, Ernie Woodard with 194 votes, V.M. Shelly Shackleford with 191 votes and Carrie Lipfird with 181 votes.

Winners for Harlan were: Grady Lee with 412 votes, Gail Murray with 398 votes, Marion Croley Forester with 395 votes, Charles F. Stephenson with 388 votes, M.G. Smith with 374 votes, and write-in candidates Jonathan Lee with 55 votes and Ann Hensley with 35 votes.

Winners for Loyall were: Trenna C. Cornett with 176 votes, Anne McFarland with 160 votes, James Hagy with 158 votes, Dorothy Williams with 155 votes, DeWayne Williams with 145 votes and Elvin Smith with 143 votes.

Winners for Lynch were: Bennie V. Massey with 211 votes, Winston Hoskins Yeary Sr. with 210 votes, Betty Hudack with 188 votes, Harry Wayne Lewis with 177 votes, Linda Adams with 174 votes and Carl D. Collins with 173 votes.

CITY SCHOOL BOARD

Two candidates were unopposed and seeking to retain their open seats on the Harlan Independent Board of Education. Matthew G. Nunez received 740 votes, while Joe Meadors received 615 votes.

COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD

Current District 1 Board of Education Member Brenda V. Henson won with 1,217 votes while her opponent Harry Moore received 372 votes.

Two were seeking reelection to the Harlan County School Board and unopposed in their districts were Chairman Gary Farmer, receiving 1,290 votes to represent District 2, and Myra Mosley, receiving 1,339 votes to represent District 3.

CONSTABLE

District 2 candidate Clyde Payne-D was unopposed and received 1,398 votes. In District 3, the winner was Jim “Muggins” Bennett-D with 995 votes, while his challenger Martin Keith-R received 860 votes.

Reach Nola Sizemore at 606-573-4510 or at nsizemore@heartlandpublications.com