Marion businessman Charles LeCroy is considering filing a challenge to Tuesday’s County Commission District 2 race in Perry County.

LeCroy, a commissioner for the past 10 years, lost to city employee Tim Sanderson by 2 votes.

“I thought all along that there would be 50 or 60 votes between Tim and me,” said LeCroy.

“But an election this close demands that we look at things more closely.”

The Perry County Democratic Executive Committee certified the Democratic primary election on Wednesday morning.

According to Probate Judge Donald Cook, any challenge must be filed within 24 hours of certification.

“The Democratic Executive Committee would have to make a determination when a challenge is filed,” explained Cook. “Then the challenger could take his case to the state committee, and then to a judge if he chose to push it that far.”

Thirteen of the absentee ballots for District 2 are challenged ballots, which means polling officials suspected some kind of irregularity.

“It might be that some of those ballots could be disqualified,” said LeCroy, “and a few ballots in a close race can make a big difference.”

LeCroy said a voter came to see him Wednesday morning with a story of irregularity.

The voter said he was a long-time resident of District 2, but was told he’d have to vote in District 1 on Tuesday.

LeCroy said the voter was one of his supporters, and was willing to testify if needed.

Sanderson, Superintendent of Streets and Sanitation for the city of Marion, had no comment on the possible challenge.

“Let’s just wait and see,” he said.

Sanderson did admit his surprise at the closeness of the race.

“I expected 50 to 75 votes either way,” he said.

Both candidates believe the Republican vote was crucial, though only 35 voters in District 2 voted in the Republican primary.

“What difference would 35 Perry County votes for (Republican nominee for governor) Bob Riley have meant in a statewide race?” asked LeCroy.

“Those people who voted Republican in District 2 definitely played a part in the outcome of this race.”

Sanderson agreed that many Alabamians traditionally vote Democratic in June and Republican in November. “It’s just a fact of life that local elections are Democratic contests, not Republican.

Charles and I would probably have split those Republican votes, and it’s impossible to say who would’ve come out ahead,” he said.

Another issue in the District 2 commissioner race was the endorsement of Albert Turner Jr., the victorious candidate in District 1.

Turner was appointed by Gov. Don Siegelman to fill the unexpired term of the late Albert Turner Sr.

Volunteers identifying themselves as Turner supporters passed out sample ballots on Tuesday with Sanderson’s name marked.

LeCroy had no comment on this endorsement.

Sanderson responded that he and LeCroy attended the meeting of the New South Coalition and sat at the same table.

“The group gave me their endorsement,” said Sanderson. “I don’t think Mr. Turner is on this board. The sample ballots they were giving out on Tuesday were from the New South Coalition, not Albert Turner.

I’m not a ‘Turner supporter’ as some have claimed.

When I’m on the commission I’ll support Turner when he’s right and oppose him when he’s wrong.

Blacks and whites need to work together to bring Perry County together.

“Charles and I are friends, and there’s nothing personal,” Sanderson continued. ‘We just have a difference of opinion on how things ought to be done in our county.”

LeCroy also refused to make race an issue.

He said the supporter who told the story of being made to vote in District 1 instead of District 2 is an African-American.

The Perry County Commission is composed of five members, and three contests were held on Tuesday.

Turner won the Democratic nomination in District 1 with nearly 68 percent of the vote.

Brett Harrison and Jeffery Huff will face each other in the June 25 run-off for District 3.

The remaining two seats on the commission are up for election in 2006.

Commissioners are elected to 6-year terms.