Turner & Saulsberry certified winners of Democratic Primary races

From the West Alabama Newsroom–

Hotly contested — formerly unresolved primary races for county commission seats in Perry and Wilcox counties — have now officially been decided.

The Alabama Democratic Party Contest Committee ruled in favor of the incumbents in both cases.

Long-time Perry County Commissioner Albert Turner, Jr. lost to Marion businessman Donald Bennett by a single vote during the primary.

A state ordered recount ended in a tie because of a single vote.

And a single vote — has now given Turner the victory in the race.

He was the only candidate present at contest committee hearing Friday morning in Montgomery. He presented a copy of a primary ballot that had not been counted during the election.

“When the state ordered the recount, it was proven that they had miscounted the votes,” said Turner.

“We wasn’t like Donald Trump calling Georgia and asking them to find some votes. I needed them to count the votes that they had. And if they counted the votes that they had we would win, and that’s what showed today.”

The committee also voted to certify Wilcox Co. Commissioner Jeff Saulsberry as the democratic nominee.

Saulsberry won the primary election — but local party officials decertified the results — and certified his opponent Charlene McConnico instead — due to allegations of illegal vote buying in the race.

“People accuse me of that, but no I didn’t do that. There was no illegal vote, there was no wrong doing on my part,” said Saulsberry.

“It’s a shame that we had to come to Montgomery to get justice, but I’m here and I got justice and I want to say thank God.”

The committee’s ruling is effective immediately.