Dateline: March 6, 2008

Sellars defeats Graves

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

In the only locally contested race Tuesday, Donley County Democrats in Precincts 3 and 4 preferred Tony Sellars as their choice for constable.

Sellars, the incumbent, defeated challenger Ralph Graves by a margin of 188 to 90, and he faces no opposition in the fall.

Other local races were uncontested at the primary level. Democratic results are as follows: Sheriff Butch Blackburn 423, Pct. 1&2 Justice of the Peace Connie Havens 181, Pct. 1 Commissioner Ernest Johnston 77, Pct. 3 Commissioner candidate Henry Stephens 130, 100th Judicial District Attorney candidate Luke Inman 323, and congressional candidate Roger Waun 279.

On the Republican side, results were as follows: Pct. 3 Commissioner Andy Wheatly 56, Pct. 1 Commissioner candidate Mark White 113, tax assessor/collector candidate Linda Crump 378, district judge candidate Stuart Messer 349, and Congressman Mac Thornberry 412.

Stephens will face Wheatly, and Johnston will face White in this November’s general election.

Donley County Democratic voters preferred Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama for that party’s presidential candidate by a margin of 297 to 119. 

Local Republicans chose presidential candidate John McCain over Mike Huckabee, 203 to 191.

A total of 732 people voted in the primaries, representing a 29.5 percent turnout for Donley County.

County convention and caucus results will be reported next week.