Only 8,678 of Putnam’s 38,350 voters turned out for the May 10th Primary. The low turnout was no surprise.

There were only three races of countywide interest — Republican for County Commission, Republican for Circuit Clerk , and three spots on the Board of Education.

In the Board of Education election, first time candidate Brad Hodges collected the most votes and will serve 4 years. He will be joined by incumbents Rob Cunningham and Wade Neal who beat out Melissa Oxley who finished 4th, 482 votes behind Neal.

The Republican contest for County Commission gathered more votes than any other single candidate contest. Former Sheriff Steve Deweese defeated incumbent Ron Foster by 599 votes.

Stephanie Smith coasted to victory in the race for Circuit Clerk with 639 more votes than second place finisher Donald Underwood. Smith is assured of victory in November because no candidate filed for the Democratic Party.
Unofficial election results follow:

U.S. House of Representatives
Republican Party
Lawhorn – 197
Stevens – 1,028
Houser – 157
Fuller – 889
Miller – 3,544
Democratic Party
Watson – 1,553

State Senate (4th District)
Republican Party
Tarr – 3,351
Democratic Party
(No Candidate)

State Senate (8th District)
Republican Party
Mitchem – 191
Hunt – 612
Higginbotham – 412
Democratic Party
Lindsay – 507

House of Delegates
(18th District)
Republican Party
Butler – 78
Wamsley – 39
Democratic Party
(No Candidate)

House of Delegates
(19th District)
Republican Party
Lovejoy – 516
Hess Crouse – 815
Withrow – 503
Democratic Party
King – 376
Martin – 366

House of Delegates
(20th District)
Republican Party
Losh – 1,070
Foster – 1,187
Democratic Party
(No Candidate)

House of Delegates
(21st District)
Republican Party
Long – 315
Kidd – 545
Cannon – 804
Democratic Party
Jackson – 577

State Executive Committee
Female, 4th District
(2 elected)
Republican Party
Miller-Kave – 321
Searls – 1,583
Hartling – 1,281
Lemley – 149
Farley – 1,773
Butler – 259
Turner – 1,430
Democratic Party
Hornsby – 88
Fruth – 317
Pickens – 124
Jackson – 1,049

State Executive Committee
Male, 4th District
(2 elected)
Republican Party
Hill – 120
Butler – 354
Kave – 178
Turner – 973
Connolly – 1,217
Stone – 918
Wamsley – 150
Cannon – 896
Tarr – 1,862
Hartling – 490
Linville – 221
Democratic Party
Bailey – 695
Barr – 128
Barkey – 1,085
Sayre – 261

State Executive Committee
Female, 8th District
(2 elected)
Republican Party
Raynes – 1,339
Graves – 600
Democratic Party
Estep-Burton – 307
Shelton – 146
Moles – 449

State Executive Committee
Male, 8th District
(2 elected)
Republican Party
Keaton – 142
Casto – 259
Higginbotham – 313
Lovejoy – 945
Lemmon – 104
Shamblin – 534
Democratic Party
Pushkin – 404
Rollyson – 332
Lahti – 117

Circuit Clerk
Republican Party
Smith – 2,113
Thompson – 1,111
Underwood – 1,474
Reynolds – 882
Democratic Party
(No Candidate)

County Commission
Republican Party
Foster – 1,760
Absten – 320
Deweese – 2,359
Dillon – 1,695
Democratic Party
Withrow – 1,768

County Clerk
Republican Party
Wood – 5,195
Democratic Party
(No Candidate)

Congressional Executive Committee
Republican Party (Female)
Raynes – 4,896
Democratic Party (Female)
Coria – 1,733
Republican Party (Male)
Wood – 5,338
Democratic Party (Male)
(No Candidate)

Senatorial Executive Committee
Female, 4th District
Republican Party
Searls – 3,437
Democratic Party
Coria – 1,194

Senatorial Executive Committee
Male, 4th District
Republican Party
Wood – 3,873
Democratic Party
(No Candidate)

Senatorial Executive Committee
Female, 8th District
Republican Party
Raynes – 1,351
Democratic Party
(No Candidate)

Board of Education
(3 elected)
Hodges – 4,772
Juba-Plumley – 2,594
Neal – 3,951
Cunningham – 3,994
Oxley – 3,469

Conservation District
Supervisor
King – 6,102

County Executive Committee
District 1 (2 elected)
Republican (Female)
Farley – 730
Raynes – 1,399
Searls – 910
Democratic (Female)
Coria – 376
Bowles – 580

County Executive Committee
District 1 (2 elected)
Republican (Male)
Stone – 1,349
Lovejoy – 1,328
Democratic (Male)
Barkey – 586

County Executive Committee
District 2 (2 elected)
Republican (Female)
(No Candidate)
Democratic (Female)
Duran – 346
Juba-Plumley – 520

County Executive Committee
District 2 (2 elected)
Republican (Male)
Higginbotham – 1,201
Gilpin – 848
Democratic (Male)
Bailey – 545

County Executive Committee
District 3 (2 elected)
Republican (Female)
Hartling – 686
Hodge – 824
Turner – 734
Democratic (Female)
(No Candidate)