Longtime Perry County District 1 Commissioner Albert Turner Jr. narrowly lost re-election by the slimmest of margins on Tuesday.
According to results announced by Perry County election officials on Tuesday after counting provisional ballots, Turner lost to Donald Bennett by one vote.
Bennett held an eight-vote lead after Tuesday's Democratic primary last week. Turner declined to concede last week, instead waiting for Tuesday's counting of provisional ballots.
Provisional voters in District 1 voted for Turner by a 10 to 3 margin. However, the provisional margin wasn't enough to re-elect Turner. Bennett won the final overall vote over Turner by a 398 to 397 margin.
According to the Perry County Herald, Turner indicated he plans to challenge the result. Turner has served on the commission since 2000.
Bennett said in a statement on Tuesday, "The provisional ballots have been counted. Thank you Perry County for electing me your Perry County Commissioner, District 1. This campaign was never about defeating an opponent, it was about advancing a mission. A conceptual vision for Perry County rooted in growth, opportunity, and a future worthy of the families who call this place home."
"The contrast in this race was not personal. It was about direction. And the people of District 1, and Perry County as a whole, have spoken clearly about the direction they want to go. Now the real work begins. I am asking every resident, every business owner, every faith leader, every young person, and every family in Perry County to come together around the initiatives we’ve been building: bringing industry and investment to our community, restoring our infrastructure, developing our workforce, growing our tourism economy, and making Marion, Uniontown and Perry County a destination that people choose not leave. There is no partisan version of a thriving local economy. There is only the work and I intend to do it, for all of us." Bennett said.
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