Your Votes - Anderson holds off challenge for ballot
By Steve Herring
Published in News on May 7, 2008 2:17 PM
Veteran District 1 Wayne County Commissioner Wilbur "Andy" Anderson handily turned back fellow Repub-lican James Beckwith in Tuesday's primary election.
Anderson, who is serving his fourth four-year term on the board, garnered 944 votes (68.91 percent) to 426 (31.09 percent) for James Beckwith.
With just two people running, it was a "small race," Anderson said.
"The work comes in the fall," he added.
That work will pit Anderson against Charles Bruton in the November general election.
For Anderson, that will mean continuing to campaign on economic development in the county -- including what priorities the county must have to bring in more business and residential investment.
That includes water and sewer, roads and schools, Anderson said.
"If you don't have those kind of things, you don't get the development or not a lot of it," he said.
Anderson said he could not think of any single issue that helped put him over the top.He said he just "sticks" with what works for him.
He added that he is not a "last-minute" campaigner. Instead, Anderson said he tries to stay in touch with county residents and spreads his campaigning throughout the year.
Anderson said he was "not really surprised" by the election results.
"(Beckwith) is a nice fellow," he said. "He did his part. I think his opposition to the quarter-cent sales tax increase helped him. It was a good clean race."
Anderson, who said he plans to take a few days off, joked that his grandson had beenwith him during the day and had probably gotten some votes for him.
Beckwith could not be reached for comment prior to presstime today.