The Selma Times-Journal

Three incumbents retained offices in county-wide races in Dallas County, with Kim Ballard the unofficial winner of the Dallas County Probate Judge’s race as an estimated 47 percent of the 29,250 registered voters went to the polls to cast ballots. (See Related Story.)

Rep. Yusuf Salaam, D-Selma, easily won re-election and Dallas County Sheriff Harris Huffman won a resounding victory over Freedom Party challenger Franklin B. Fortier, capturing 88 percent of the total vote.

Salaam faced two challengers to retain his seat in the Alabama House of Representatives.

Salaam defeated Freedom Party candidate Cliff Albright in the race for District 67, and Adney Taylor, who ran as an independent. Salaam had 7,592 votes, or 65 percent. Albright had 2,048, and Taylor had 1,975.

Huffman, a Democratic incumbent, defeated Freedom Party candidate Fortier.

All three Freedom Party candidates, who were on the ballot in races for sheriff, State Representative District 67, and Dallas County Board of Education, lost to incumbents.

Huffman won by the largest margin in Dallas County, having served as sheriff for the past 12 years, collected 88 percent of the vote. Huffman had 11,712 votes to Fortier’s 1,576.

“I’m well pleased with the percentages of people who got out to vote,” Huffman said after learning of the unofficial results. “I live here. I’ve raised my kid here. I have grandchildren here. This is my home. I’m going to do my very best to continue to provide the law enforcement that we expect.”

Incumbent Roy Edwards, recaptured his seat on the Dallas County Board of Education, gathering 78 percent of the vote in District 2 over Freedom Party challenger Clifford Hunter.

In statewide races, Democrat Lucy Baxley captured 62 percent of the vote in Dallas County to Gov. Bob Riley’s 38 percent. Baxley had 8,398 votes and Riley had 5,172 votes.

In the race for Lieutenant Governor,

Democrat Jim Folsom Jr., carried Dallas County with 9,624 votes or 71 percent of the vote. Republican Luther Strange had 3,855 votes.

In Dallas County, John Tyson Jr., Mobile County district attorney, captured 8,461 votes to 4,929 for Republican incumbent Troy King.

In the race for State Senate District 23, incumbent Sen. Hank Sanders won in Dallas County collecting 65 percent of the vote to 35 percent for Republican challenger Bob Duke.