Four new council members elected

RUSSELLVILLE - It was evident by the votes cast in Tuesday's runoff election: The people of Russellville want change.

Voters elected four new city council members in Tuesday's runoff. Jeff Masterson, William Nale, Gary Gummings and Lanny Hubbard, along with newly elected mayor Troy Oliver and Councilman David Grissom, who didn't have any opposition in the general election, will give the city government a whole new makeup for the next four years.

"This is the beginning of a new beginning for the city of Russellville, and I'm excited to be a part of it," said Hubbard as he watched the returns Tuesday at city hall.

Nale and Cummings lost close elections in 2004, but for Hubbard and Masterson, it was their first try at politics.

"To be honest, I'm in shock right now," Hubbard said as the results of his race were posted.

According to the looks on the faces of many of the people in attendance, Hubbard wasn't the only one surprised.

"It's pretty evident that the people wanted a change in their city government," said Nale, who defeated former Mayor Johnny Brown for the council. "We all want what's best for the people of this city."

Masterson's race with county engineer David Palmer for the District 1 seat was the closest of the evening. Masterson had a 30-vote lead with the absentee votes still remaining, and he anticipated there being 30 absentee ballots.

When the absentees were announced, he and Palmer each had 14, giving Masterson 52 percent of the vote and the city council seat.

"I'm disappointed from a competitive standpoint but not for the city of Russellville. This election was good for the city of Russellville," said Palmer as he thanked all his supporters for their efforts.

Masterson was the leading vote-getter in the general election and he said he worked hard to keep up the effort. "I had a lot of supporters and volunteers who worked hard for me," he said.

He agreed that Tuesday's vote was a new beginning for the city.

"A new mayor with a new council. I think we're all ready to work together to move the city forward," he said. "I'm ready to go to work for my hometown."

Nale picked up 59 percent of the vote in District 2 to outdistance Brown, the former mayor.

"We started the runoff like everything was equal, and we worked hard," Nale said. "We went door-to-door and tried to meet as many people as possible.

"I can't say enough about my supporters, my family and the volunteers who helped me."

Cummings may have pulled off the biggest surprise of the evening by defeating David Hester.

In the general election, Hester had a 13-vote lead. In the runoff, Cummings gathered 61 percent of the vote to win.

"Getting out and working as hard as I could, that was the key," Cummings said of defeating Hester, the county's longtime coroner. "I believe this is the biggest upset in the election."

Cummings, whose father was elected to the council 40 years ago, said Hester is well known and ran a good race.

"David's a good guy, and I feel very humbled by the turnout and support I received," Cummings said.

Hubbard got 54 percent of the vote to defeat Charles Dale in the race for the District 4 seat.

"All of (the new administration) has a good attitude and we're ready to work for the city," Hubbard said.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.