By Christopher Edmunds

The Selma Times-Journal

 

Tammy Jones King earned re-election Tuesday by the narrowest of margins, defeating challenger Cicely Curtis in the race for Dallas County Tax Collector.

By a winning margin of just 83 votes, or 0.74 percent, King earned re-election, and likely avoided a recount challenge.

According to the Code of Alabama, “in a general election, the election returns for any public office, including a judicial office, reflect that a candidate is defeated … is defeated by not more than one half of one percent of the votes cast … a recount shall be held …”

The Times-Journal was unable to reach King for comment Tuesday night.

As for Curtis, she said that although she may have lost the election, the community won because of how her campaign was run.

“We ran a faith-based campaign since day one,” Curtis said. “I’m very proud of team Curtis. We were charged with running a faith-based campaign, and that’s what we did, so we won.”

In an earlier interview with the Times-Journal, King said she would continue to run an efficient office and work to improve the online payment system.

“I think it’s important to constantly keep up with technology,” King said. “The more options that people have to pay taxes, the better.”

The position of tax collector is the head of an office responsible for distributing about $9 million in tax payments each year to 10 agencies throughout the state.