Published: March 05, 2008 03:33 am            

Smith, Dickson in GOP runoff for precinct 3 commissioner

PALESTINE — With three Republican candidates in the Anderson County precinct 3 commissioner’s race, it seemed probable that the party primary would require a runoff.

But few observers probably expected the top two votegetters to be decided by such a slim margin.

Incumbent Ronny Smith finished with 537 votes Tuesday, while Kenneth Dickson was next with 486 votes — just 31 votes ahead of Van Brown (455 votes) who ran a close third in a tightly-packed field.

Smith and Dickson will now meet in the April 8 primary runoff election, with the winner facing unopposed Democrat Rush Herrington in the Nov. 4 general election.

The 60-year-old Smith, who is in the final year of his initial four-year term, said he expected a runoff and complimented his Republican opponents for running “a very clean race.

“It’s a short turnaround between now and April 8,” stated Smith, who lives in Frankston. “I’ll try to do my best again. I think I’ve served the people of precinct 3 well the last three years and I intend to keep it up.”

Dickson said Tuesday’s election exceeded his wildest expectations in terms of tightness. In fact, the runoff participants did not become clear until the precinct’s final voting box tally had been posted.

“I didn’t have any idea it would be this close,” said Dickson, who owns Dickson Sand and Gravel and resides in the Neches area. “It was very gut wrenching to wait until the end to see.”

Like Smith, Dickson said he will work to reenergize his supporters.

“I’m just really concerned now about trying to get the people back out to vote,” Dickson said.

Brown, who owns Van’s Country Store in Neches, was ultimately the odd man out in the nip-and-tuck race. The candidate referenced that he and Dickson likely split the Neches vote.

“It was obviously a close race,” Brown said. “Both of us being from the same area made it especially close for us. I wish both of them well.”

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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com

        

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