By J.W. JOHNSON JR.

Staff Writer

Tyler County voters re-elected Republican Jack Hayes as Tyler County Assessor during Tuesday’s general election.

The race featured Democrat Michael Galluzzo challenging the incumbent Hayes. With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Hayes received 2,133 votes to Galluzzo’s 1,053 votes.

“I’m glad it’s over,” Hayes said, adding the results seemed to be similar to trends that have become common in Tyler County. “I want to thank the people of Tyler County for voting for me.”

Tyler County voters also chose to keep their representative in the House of Delegates in the recently changed 6th District, as Republican Incumbent Del. Wm. Roger Romine of Sistersville earned more votes than Democratic challenger Charlie Delauder of Middlebourne. Romine received 1,956 votes to Delauder’s 1,207 votes. Two write-in votes were cast. Final results will include numbers from other counties in the district.

Several county officials ran unopposed during Tuesday’s election, including: John E. Roberts, Democrat, Magistrate receiving 2,013 votes; Charles “Pork” Smith, Republican, County Commissioner, receiving 2,746 votes; D. Luke Furbee, Republican, Prosecuting Attorney, receiving 2,655 votes; Earl P. “Bob” Kendle, Jr., Republican, Sheriff, receiving 2,676 votes; Michael Griffin, Republican, Magistrate, receiving 2,367 votes; Thomas E. Wince, Republican, Surveyor, receiving 2,698 votes.

Final numbers show 3,316 individuals cast votes in the county, 53.69 percent of the 6,176 registered voters. A total of 793 took advantage of early voting over the course of a two week span. As of Tuesday, 81 absentee ballots had been turned in. According to Tyler County Clerk Teresea Hamilton, that number is one of the highest she has seen since taking office as clerk.

“I thought it was high,” she said before adding absentee numbers in the past routinely exceeded 300. “That was before early voting was used, though.”

Hamilton thanked Tyler County voters for coming out in such large numbers, and also thanked her staff and all volunteers for helping the election run smoothly and in having results completed by 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Full results, including breakdowns of how Tyler County residents voted in national, state and local races, will be published in next week’s Tyler Star News and will be posted on www.tylerstarnews.com