Cook wins, Ash and Webb in runoff

In an election with no issues, Apalachicola voters turned out in droves to returned one incumbent city commissioner and sent the other along with a political newcomer to face off in a runoff election.

Incumbent City Commissioner Frank Cook withstood challenger Jerry Hall to win Seat 3 on the Apalachicola Board of City Commissioners. Cook garnered 446 votes to Hall's 311 to begin his first elected term on the city council. In 2007, Cook received appointment as the Seat 3 commissioner after then city commissioner Van Johnson won election as the city's mayor.

For Hall the loss marks his second failed attempt to win election as a city commissioner. In 1997, Hall came up short in his first bid for the same seat on the Apalachicola city council.

In the Seat 4 race, none of the three candidates received over 50 percent of the votes to avoid a runoff election. However, political newcomer Brenda Ash led the race by tallying 366 votes, while incumbent city commissioner Valentina Webb received 264 and challenger Anderson "Andy" Williams 187.

Both Ash and Webb now has two weeks to get back on the campaign trail before facing each other in the September 22 runoff election.

All together, the voter turnout was at 48% in the Apalachicola municipal election.

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Photos by Gail D. Johnson