Alabama
Alabama Primary Election Results: County-By-County Breakdown Across Central Alabama
Voters across Central Alabama headed to the polls Tuesday for a busy primary election day filled with sheriff’s races, school superintendent contests, commission battles and tax votes that could shape local communities for years to come.
Here is a county-by-county breakdown of some of the biggest local races and results from election night.
Bibb County
Bibb County voters reelected Schools Superintendent Kevin Cotner, who defeated Lane Watts Lightsey with just over 60% of the vote.
In County Commission District 2, no candidate reached the required majority threshold, sending the race to a runoff between Gary Uber and Jarred Keith Kornegay. Incumbent Charles Caddell finished fourth and was eliminated.
Ty Corbell held onto his County Commission District 4 seat, defeating Corkey McFarland with nearly 68% of the vote.
Blount County
Blount County voters reelected County Commissioners Allen Armstrong and Chase Moore in Districts 1 and 3 respectively.
The county also elected a new Board of Education member for District 3 after incumbent Philip Cleveland chose not to seek reelection. Matthew Fallin narrowly defeated Curtis Hawkins in one of the tighter races in the county.
Calhoun County
Calhoun County Sheriff Falon Hurst easily secured reelection, winning nearly 79% of the vote in a three-way race.
One of the closest races of the night came in County Commission District 4, where Tobi Burt defeated incumbent Terry Howell by just 24 votes.
Incumbent Revenue Commissioner Tim Hodges also won reelection with nearly 70% support.
Chilton County
Chilton County Schools Superintendent Corey Clements cruised to reelection with more than 83% of the vote.
The race for Revenue Commissioner will head to a runoff after no candidate cleared 50%. Michele Porter Headley finished first, followed closely by Brad Carter. Incumbent Tim Miller did not seek reelection.
Coosa County
Coosa County voters elected Matthew Reams to the County Commission District 4 seat following the death of longtime commissioner Ronnie Joiner earlier this year.
In District 5, Dillon Adams defeated incumbent Lamar Daugherty.
Incumbent Sharon Coffman narrowly held onto her Board of Education District 4 seat, defeating Kimberly Crowe by fewer than 30 votes.
Cullman County
Cullman County will have a new sheriff after Chad Whaley defeated Tim Creel in the race to replace outgoing Sheriff Matt Gentry, who ran for Public Service Commission.
Voters also selected Mike Pitts as the county’s next Revenue Commissioner after incumbent Barry Willingham chose not to seek reelection.
In County Commission races, Kenneth Walker and Richard Barnett both won their respective districts.
Etowah County
Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton easily won reelection with more than 86% of the vote.
One of the county’s biggest shakeups came in the Board of Education District 2 race, where Ben Greene defeated incumbent Scarlett Farley.
County Coroner London Pearce and Commissioner Tim Ramsey also secured reelection victories.
Fayette County
Fayette County Sheriff Byron Yerby won reelection with more than two-thirds of the vote.
The race for Schools Superintendent is headed to a runoff after no candidate received a majority. Steve Sawyer narrowly led Jeremy Madden in the race to replace retiring Superintendent Jim Burkhalter.
The Revenue Commissioner race will also head to a runoff. Incumbent Jeananne Edwards finished first but failed to clear 50%.
Greene County
Greene County Sheriff Joe Benison secured reelection with nearly 63% support.
Several county races will head to runoffs after crowded Democratic primaries prevented candidates from reaching majority support, including County Commission Districts 1 and 3.
Greene County also saw multiple incumbent losses in Board of Education races. Willie Davis defeated incumbent Leo Branch in District 4, while Joe Webb unseated incumbent Carrie Dancy in District 5.
Tonjula Carey won the District Court Judge race to replace retiring Judge Lillie Jones-Osborne.
Hale County
In Hale County, Charles Patrick defeated incumbent Patti Rhodes in the County Commission District 4 race.
Jefferson County
Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway easily won reelection, defeating former detective Chris Anderson and Jude Washington with nearly 75% of the vote.
Camara Blue won the Jefferson County Commission District 3 race to replace retiring Commissioner Jimmie Stephens.
Tiffany Jones was elected District Court Judge for Place 7 following the retirement of Judge Ruby Clark.
Commission President Lashunda Scales also secured reelection in District 1.
Marion County
Marion County’s Commission District 1 race is headed to a runoff after no candidate reached the required majority threshold. Incumbent Keith Nichols finished first, followed by Jason Taylor.
Pickens County
Pickens County voters overwhelmingly approved a county ambulance service measure with more than 70% support.
In County Commission District 3, Rodney Homan narrowly defeated incumbent Drew Elmore by just 25 votes.
John Morgan Owens also won the county’s District Court Judge race.
Shelby County
Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego easily secured reelection with more than 70% of the vote.
One of the closest races in Central Alabama came in the Schools Superintendent contest, where Andrew Gunn narrowly defeated Joel Dixon by fewer than 400 votes to replace retiring Superintendent Dr. Lewis Brooks.
The county’s District Court Judge Place 3 race will head to a runoff after no candidate reached 50% in the crowded four-way Republican primary.
Peg Hill and Jacob Tidmore both won reelection in countywide races.
St. Clair County
Ragland voters overwhelmingly approved a special school tax aimed at supporting Ragland schools.
The race for St. Clair County Commission chairman was one of the closest in the region, with David Evans defeating incumbent Stan Batemon by just 72 votes.
County Commission District 1 will head to a runoff after no candidate received a majority of the vote.
Greg Cobb also defeated incumbent Allison Gray in the Board of Education race for the Odenville seat.
Talladega County
Talladega County incumbents largely held onto their seats Tuesday night.
County Commissioner Tony Haynes and District Court Judges J. Scott Brewer and Dale Price all won reelection in their respective races.
Walker County
Walker County voters overwhelmingly rejected two separate school tax proposals, with both measures failing by roughly 71% to 29%.
The county’s sheriff race will head to a runoff after no candidate reached a majority. Jason Akins and J.C. Poe Jr. advanced, while incumbent Sheriff Nick Smith was eliminated from the race.
Dennis Willingham won reelection as Schools Superintendent with nearly 69% of the vote.
Walker County also elected Trent McCluskey as the county’s next coroner after incumbent Joey Vick chose not to seek reelection.
Winston County
Winston County Sheriff Caleb Snoddy cruised to reelection with more than 76% support.
The County Commission District 2 race was one of the tighter contests in the county, with Heath Tidwell defeating Taylor Stults by just over 100 votes.
In certain outposts throughout the South, it’s pronounced “progrum,” not program.
However you say it, the SEC footprint houses some of the most celebrated and iconic college football programs in all the land, complete with rabid fanbases that breathe college football all year. Games are played in towering cathedrals where the crowds partake in what’s almost a religious experience on fall Saturdays.
When evaluating the SEC’s programs, recent results should be considered, but rankings also should reflect historical success, traditions, blue-blood status and fan support.
Here’s how I rank the SEC’s programs, top to bottom:
Alabama football is more than a program, and it’s bigger than an international brand. It’s a way of life. The Script A represents tradition and excellence. Alabama fans are plugged in year-round to their favorite sport, and expectations rarely dip. Coaches who thrive in T-Town are immortalized in bronze. The GOAT conversation runs through Alabama. Is it Nick Saban or Bear Bryant? Either way, it’s an Alabama coach.
2. Oklahoma
The crimson and cream have blue blood. Among SEC schools, Oklahoma trails only Alabama for all-time winning percentage. Double-digit win seasons remain the standard, although the 2000 Sooners remain OU’s last national champion. Oklahoma ruled the 1950s under Bud Wilkinson, then ran back their dominance with Barry Switzer’s wishbone in the 1970s and 80s. Seven Heisman winners point to the program’s star power.
3. Texas
Texas’ deep war chest suits the NIL era, but don’t mistake the Longhorns for the nouveau riche. They’re a traditional power that emerged from an inexcusable, prolonged slumber in between Mack Brown and Steve Sarkisian. Texas enjoyed its heyday in the Southwest Conference under Darrell Royal, but the Longhorns also showed their horns during the Brown era. They belong among the heavy hitters.
The Bulldogs don’t crack the list of blue bloods, but Kirby Smart made them look like one. Georgia has seized a place of persistent power that was long considered possible, because of the school’s location within fertile recruiting terrain. Smart flawlessly implemented Saban’s recruit-and-develop blueprint. We’re witnessing Georgia’s glory days, decades after Herschel Walker and Vince Dooley supplied the previous peak in the early 1980s.
5. LSU
LSU is the only program to have three coaches win a national championship in this millennium. Lane Kiffin could become the fourth. Money poured in to fund his roster. LSU’s standards are such that Brian Kelly got fired after winning 71% of his games. In-state talent gravitates to LSU, but the Tigers also built a national brand, and a night game at Tiger Stadium is a college football mecca.
6. Tennessee
Few states can match Tennessee’s unrelenting vigor for college football. Gen. Robert Neyland put the Vols on the map and got his name on the stadium. Johnny Majors earned a place of adoration. Phillip Fulmer’s Vols flourished in the 1990s. Since Fulmer, Tennessee’s ravenous fans infrequently had a chance to say, “It feels like ’98.” For too long, it felt more like dysfunction, but Tennessee recaptured respectability under Josh Heupel.
Few individuals mean more to a program than what Steve Spurrier means to Florida. He revolutionized the Gators from an also-ran into one of the premier programs of the 1990s. The Head Ball Coach branded The Swamp and gave the Gators an identity. They became SEC championship game regulars. Urban Meyer injected more glory with two titles. Florida lacks the consistency and history of some higher-ranked programs, but its peaks are just as lofty.
These are dark days for Auburn. The Tigers endured five consecutive losing seasons, their bleakest period since the late 1940s. Auburn’s loyal fan base deserves better. Recent woes aside, this accomplished program achieved undefeated seasons under three coaches since the 1990s. From Pat Sullivan to Bo Jackson to Cam Newton, Auburn produced decorated stars. Now, it just needs to pull out of this funk.
Trivia question: When did Texas A&M last win a national championship? Answer: 1939. The Aggies possess the financial resources, fan support and recruiting location to be top shelf, but greatness stubbornly eludes them. R.C. Slocum’s Aggies ruled the Southwest Conference in the early 1990s. Is it time for a fresh set of glory days? Mike Elko’s early returns suggest it’s safe for the Aggies to dream of ascending to their potential.
10. Mississippi
Those old enough to witness Johnny Vaught remember Ole Miss as a powerhouse. Those who watched Archie Manning remember the Rebels with a superstar. Then, Kiffin and Trinidad Chambliss made it so everyone can remember Ole Miss as a playoff team with a premier quarterback. Kiffin treated the Rebels like they were small by leaving for LSU, but not before spawning an uprising that showed the school’s potential in the NIL era.
Arkansas piled up Southwest Conference hardware under Frank Broyles, along with an undefeated season. The conference crowns ceased after Arkansas left in 1991 for the SEC, where there’s been more famine than feast for the Hogs. Even in the SEC, the Razorbacks enjoyed a few highlight seasons, but those uprisings are fading into the rearview mirror. The Hogs need another Darren McFadden.
The Tigers tout seven seasons of double-digit-wins in the past 20 years. They transitioned to the SEC better than many expected. Gary Pinkel became the best thing to happen to Mizzou since Dan Devine. Eliah Drinkwitz has been a gift, too. Anyone who’s a millennial or older can remember the program’s highlight moments, even if they never resulted in a Big 12 or SEC title.
13. Mississippi State
Dan Mullen and Mike Leach did it well for Mississippi State, but Starkville remains one of the toughest SEC outposts to win big or to sustain success. Jackie Sherrill’s 74 wins are the most for any Mississippi State coach. He needed 13 seasons to reach that number. You can’t take the cowbells away from Mississippi State, nor its 15-12 record in bowl games.
14. South Carolina
Spurrier’s successful 11-year run at South Carolina ranks among the best program-building feats in modern history. He won 11 games three seasons in a row, and his teams finished ranked in the top 10 each year. The Gamecocks never won 11 games before Spurrier, and they’ve never hit double digits since he left. Aside from Spurrier’s tenure, the peaks are few and far between.
A program that employed Bear Bryant (and finished 11-1 under the Bear in 1950) can’t rank last on this list, so here we arrive at Kentucky. What can we say about the Wildcats? Well, they own a winning record against Vanderbilt, and they occasionally aren’t as bad as you’d expect a basketball school to be. Mark Stoops got them to a respectable level, but was unable to keep things afloat.
16. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt’s 10 wins last year register as its single-season record, so you could say the program’s never looked better. The less said, the better, about much of Vanderbilt’s history — unless you want to discuss the 1904 season. That year, Vanderbilt went 9-0 and outscored its competition 474-4. Glory days.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WBMA) — The Enterprise Police Department announced Monday that a 40-day search of the Coffee County Landfill for the remains of 2-year-old Genesis Reid has concluded without locating her remains.
MORE COVERAGE
Search for remains of missing 2-year-old Enterprise girl starts first week of May
Mother of missing Alabama toddler charged with murder, accused of putting body in dumpster
Search Intensifies for Missing 2-Year-Old Girl in Enterprise; Mother Detained
During a news conference on July 13, the Enterprise Police Department said the search operation, which began May 7, involved federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies, forensic experts, volunteers and support personnel from across Alabama.
According to police, investigators developed evidence that led them to believe Genesis’ mother, Adrienne Reid, murdered Genesis on Christmas night 2025, removed her from an apartment and later disposed of her body. Police said Reid reported Genesis missing 53 days after her death, which investigators said affected the timeline of the investigation.
Authorities said the landfill search was based on evidence that led investigators to believe Genesis had been placed in a dumpster at the apartment complex. The search continued for 40 working days and included approximately 10 million pounds of landfill material, according to police.
Investigators said teams examined more than 20,000 non-human bones and inspected numerous bags and other materials during the operation. Officials said the search area was reviewed and cleared by experts before landfill operations concluded on July 10.
Police said the search did not locate Genesis’ remains but emphasized that the operation was conducted thoroughly based on the evidence available at the time.
“The landfill search answered one important question,” police said during the news conference. “It strongly indicates that Genesis was not located in the specific area of interest that would have been believed to be associated with landfill operations.”
The department said the investigation will continue, with the focus now shifting toward court proceedings and efforts to seek justice for Genesis.
Police also expressed appreciation to the agencies, volunteers, local organizations and community members who assisted with the search effort.
“Although our search has concluded, our commitment to Genesis has not,” police said. “We will continue to pursue justice, we will continue to seek the truth, and we will never forget this precious child.”
“After interviewing witnesses and processing the scene for physical evidence, initial investigation shows that the shooting may have been in self-defense during a possible robbery attempt,” he said. “Surveillance video from the business corroborates the witness statements. At this time no one has been charged, but the investigation is ongoing”
This is a developing story. Tuscaloosa Patch will have more information as it becomes available.
-
Videos57 minutes agoNew explosions near Iranian port cities, says state media | BBC News
-
Los Angeles, Ca58 minutes agoBig rig crash spills cinder blocks on 101 Freeway; lanes blocked in Tarzana
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoHow to watch ‘The Odyssey’ in IMAX, 70mm and more in metro Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoSold-Out SF Marathon 2026: The Races, Routes and Road Closures (Plus How to Watch It All) | KQED
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoTop 10 Dallas Cowboys of 2026: Rashan Gary is Complete EDGE Dallas Needed
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoGirl, 12, shot while sitting in parked car in northwest Miami-Dade, deputies say
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoGBH Daily: Come sail away
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoNew ice cream shop with a ‘waffle theater’ bets big on downtown Denver
