Trump wins Cherokee County by landslide; Sturns claims unexpired RISD board seat

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Presidential incumbent Donald J. Trump won over a whopping 77.43% of Cherokee County voters during the Nov. 3 presidential election, with approximately four-fifths all votes cast by absentee or early ballot, according to Cherokee County Election Department results.

The complete but unofficial totals, with 25 of 25 voting precincts reporting, were posted online at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday by the local election department.

Trump and incumbent Vice President Michael R. Pence – who represented the Republican party – received 15,065 votes, while Democratic contender Joseph R. Biden and his running mate received 4,196, or 21.57%, of the votes cast.

Other candidates vying for the presidency were Libertarian candidates Jo Jorgensen (presidential) and Jeremy "Spike" Cohen (vice presidential), who received only 160 votes, or 0.82% of those cast, while Green Party candidates Howie Hawkins (presidential) and Angela Walker (vice presidential) received 36 votes, or 0.19%.

Schools and municipalities across the state conducted run-off and special elections Nov. 3due to a delay created by a national pandemic.

Locally, a contested race for a two-year unexpired seat on the Rusk school board was a nail-biter, with Oliver G. Sturns receiving 1,752 votes (50.52%) to opponent Tara Nicole Tatarski’s 1,716 votes, (49.48%) – a total of 3.468 votes were cast.

Two other seats – each for a three-year term – were up for election, with 3,811 votes cast. Candidate Teresa Phifer received 51.98%, or 1,981 votes, while challenger Martin Pepin received 48.02%, or 1,830 votes.

Other contested races in Cherokee County included:

• ALTO. A total of 574 votes were cast to fill two at-large seats on the Alto City Council.

Incumbent E.L. Thacker – 159 votes (29.44%)

Monty Collins – 117 votes (20.38%)

Shamonica Johnson – 112 votes (19.51%)

Incumbent Carey Palmer – 106 votes (18.47%)

Sharon Carter – 70 votes (12.2%)

• BULLARD ISD. A total of 1,948 votes were cast for the Place 1 seat:

Cory Santos – 851 votes (43.69%)

Incumbent Tony Johnson – 771 votes (39.58%)

Jason Acker – 336 votes (16.74%)

Place 2: A total of 1,849 votes were cast:

Incumbent Brian Vestal – 1,112 votes (60.14%)


Incumbent Brent Bishop – 737 votes (39.86%)

Place 3: A total of 1,834 votes were cast:

Jason Stainback – 1,281 votes (69.85%)

Shane Hagen – 553 votes (30.15%)

• CUNEY. Mayoral race – A total of 41 votes were cast:

Marchell Roberts – 36 votes (87.80%)

Grace Beal – 5 votes (12.2%)

Place 2 Alderman – A total of 40 votes were cast:

Vivian Earl – 19 votes (47.5%)

Marilyn McClelland – 11 votes (27.5%)

Incumbent Dianne Reed – 10 votes (25%)

Place 4 Alderman – Incumbent Elizabeth Jenkins – 27 votes (100%)

• JACKSONVILLE. City Council – District 2 seat, with 538 votes cast.
Mindy Folden Gellock – 382 votes (71%)

Tim L. Mullenax – 156 votes (29%)

• WELLS ISD. Two full-term seats, with 894 votes cast:

Kelly Collins – 308 votes (34.45%)

Incumbent Donnie Carver – 205 votes (22.93%)


Phillip Jones – 201 votes (24.48%)

Incumbent T. Wayne Montes – 180 votes (20.13%)

One unexpired term: Incumbent Steven Monday – 470 votes (100%)

• WELLS. Mayoral seat (two-year term): Tony McNight – 161 votes (100%)

Three seats with two-year terms each, with 310 votes cast:

Incumbent Robert Kalka – 96 votes (30.97%)

Incumbent Billie Petty – 77 votes (24.84%)

Eva Alexander – 74 votes (23.87%)

Darlene Kirkland – 63 votes (20.32%)

• TROUP ISD. The district's $22.6 million bond package proposes renovation for additional seating in the high school/middle school cafeteria; provides a new Career and Technology building featuring eight new classrooms and a new shop area; a new high school gymnasium; renovations at the elementary campus by joining together different buildings, with a new Pre-K through 2 featuring office space, a library, a cafeteria and a defined school entry. A total of 1,034 votes were cast.

FOR: 402 votes (38.88%) 
AGAINST: 632 votes (61.12%)

Uncontested races in Cherokee County include those for 2nd Judicial District Judge Chris Day; District Attorney Elmer Beckworth; County Attorney Dana Young; County Sheriff Brent Dickson; County Tax Assessor-Collector Shonda McCutcheon Potter; Precinct 1 Commissioner Kelly Young; Precinct 3 Commissioner Patrick Reagan; Precinct 1 Constable Lynn Kelley; Precinct 2 Constable Jack White; Precinct 3 Constable Eddie Lee and Precinct 4 Constable Jaime Beene. All are Republican candidates. All candidates are incumbents, except for Dickson and Potter.