Anderson Independent Mail: News

Anderson Independent Mail

To print this page, select File then Print from your browser

URL: http://www.andersonsc.com/and/news/article/0,1886,AND_8203_2949317,00.html

Trotter defeated in Pickens Republican primary

By Kelly Davis
Independent-Mail
June 8, 2004

An upset of an incumbent state representative, a pair of unsurprising incumbent victories and some council member defeats in the making were among results of primary voting Tuesday in Pickens and Oconee counties.

All votes are unofficial.

Sitting Republican Rep. Teddy Trotter was defeated in a close vote by challenger David Hiott, who won by 281 votes, gaining 53 percent of all votes cast in the Pickens County post.

Sheriff David Stone likely will keep his title in 2005, as Pickens County voters preferred him to challenger Rick Clark in Tuesday’s Republican primary. About 57 percent of voters chose Sheriff Stone over Mr. Clark. The general election is Nov. 2, but there is no Democratic opposition.

LeJette Gatlin continued the Pickens incumbent victory parade by defeating Republican challenger Ben Finley in the race for Clerk of Court with 55 percent of votes.

The Republican primary for three crowded Pickens County Council races ended in three runoffs, all including incumbents, but not all with incumbents leading the votes.

In District 3, incumbent Jimmy Patten and Ben Trotter will face each other June 22, with 47 and 34 percent of the votes, respectively, to Phil Flaugher’s 19 percent.

In District 4, incumbent Norman Langston will face G. Neil Smith in the runoff, but Mr. Smith led the primary voting with 46 percent of the votes to Mr. Langston’s 39 percent. Greg Farrier brought up the rear with 15 percent.

A similar story unfolded in District 6, where challenger Tom Ponder earned 48 percent of the votes to lead incumbent and runner-up Ron Harrison, who earned 41 percent. Phil Pauley got 11 percent of the votes.

In Oconee County, Tommy Crumpton won the battle of newcomers to replace Kenneth Johns Jr. in Council District 2. The Republican defeated B.J. Littleton 843 votes to 382 votes, nearly 69 percent of the total.

Kelly Davis can be reached at (864) 260-1277 or by e-mail at davisk@IndependentMail.com.