Artur Davis, on his landslide victory in his reelection bid for Seventh District Congressman

With 289 of 450 precincts reporting, Davis had accumulated 88 percent of the votes.

“No, I guess I did not expect this,” Davis said from the floor of the Harbert Center, minutes after giving his victory speech to supporters gathered in Birmingham. “But I do admit this is very satisfying.”

Greg Griggers on winning a nip-and-tuck contest against Barrown Lankston for 17th Judicial Circuit District Attorney

With only the provisional box out in Marengo County, it appeared Griggers was leading Lankster 7,064 votes to 6,142 when the camp declared victory.

“It feels good,” Griggers said. “It sounds like a pretty strong mandate from the voters of the 17th Circuit that they want officials who are accountable to the voters.”

“I think that mandate was sent by voters who said job performance and record do matter. It was a mandate of the voters in that they care more about that than they do anything else,” he said.

In Sumter County, Griggers received 1,680 votes to Lankster’s 2,063; in Greene County, Griggers earned 949 votes to Lankster’s 1,737, and in Marengo County, Griggers chalked up 4,435 votes to Lankster’s 2,342 votes.

On voter turnout in this election, Marengo County Probate Judge Cindy Neilson said,

“I think it has been about average. There were very few problems in the election, and those were quickly handled this morning. It’s always like that in any election, the first two hours are tricky but things tend to run smoothly the rest of the way.”

Marengo Circuit Clerk Rusty Nichols said he was “sweating bullets” for a while as the polls began to get operational, but no major problems with voting were reported.

Mildred Duke, the poll inspector at Majo’s said she thought the county’s movement of the Gallion box to Faunsdale and Majo’s was a good move by the county. “It’s costing them some money, but we would have been sweeping water out of the other building.”

The race for the Marengo County Commission District 4 seat was too close to call after the vote tally Tuesday night. Neilson said if incumbent Commissioner George Baldwin gains six additional votes from provisional balloting, a run-off would be required between him and Calvin Martin, who garnered 50.22 percent of the popular vote. Baldwin received 32.98 percent of the vote. Trezzvant Hopson, the third candidate in the race garnered 234 votes or 16.83 percent of the vote. He said whither he wins or loses, he knows he ran a clean campaign and would be interested in running again. Provisional ballots will be certified by June 11.

In Hale County, incumbent District 3 Commissioner Joe Lee Hamilton garnered 673 votes to Steven Craig Thomas’ 523 votes. In the District 2 race, Elijah Knox topped incumbent Lois Fields 687 votes to 470 votes.

In Sumter County, Sharon Yates garnered 63 percent of the vote, defeating Larry E. Yates.

Issuing a statement from Washington, D.C., Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry said: “Tonight, I want to thank the people ofAlabama for supporting my campaign to build an America that is stronger at home and more respected in the world. For over three years, President Bush has divided this nation at home by race and by riches, and has dividedAmericafrom the world.

I will bring us back together again, by making our economy stronger, and our nation more safe and secure. Throughout this campaign, I will continue to talk directly to voters about my plans to strengthen the economy, provide affordable health care, create new and better jobs, fund public schools and bring stability toIraq.

Together, we will build a strongerAmerica.” Kerry outdistanced other Democratic challengers for delegates at the party’s convention. President George W. Bush, a Republican, didn’t face any opposition in the primary.