Jon Dodds wasn’t about to make a victory speech as the primary totals were rolling in Tuesday night.
“Are you kidding?” the Republican candidate for Marion County’s 76th House of Delegates said, laughing. “I’m sitting here hitting the ‘refresh’ button.”
That’s because as of 10 p.m., only six votes — 511 to 505 — were between him and Toby Heaney, his GOP challenger for the seat.
“Toby’s a good guy and I have a lot of respect for him as a candidate,” said Dodds, who has unsuccessfully sought House of Delegate seats in past elections.
“With the race being this close, I can’t ‘call’ anything,” he said. “We’re just going to have to wait and see.”
Heaney, meanwhile, didn’t return calls in time for this report. The winner of the Republican race will match up against Joey Garcia in November. Garcia ran unopposed on the Democratic ticket.
Across Marion and Taylor counties, other candidates tested the waters of the state’s newly mapped House district offerings.
In Marion’s 75th contest, GOP incumbent Phil Mallow and Democrat challenger Stephanie Sears Tomana, who both ran without opponents, vie for the seat in the fall.
So will Amy Summers and Mike Manypenny in Taylor’s 73rd House. Both ran unopposed.
Summers is a Republican seeking re-election and Manypenny will represent the Democratic side of the ballot come November.
Political veteran and House incumbent Guy Ward, meanwhile, fell in his bid for re-election in the 74th district, according to Tuesday night’s numbers.
Ward, a Republican who has also served as mayor of White Hall and as a Marion County commission, was bested 890 votes to 746 by Mike DeVault, his GOP challenger.
DeVault will face Democrat John “JohnBoy” Palmer, who is currently mayor of the northern Marion County town of Monongah.
Tuesday night’s totals won’t become final until they are canvassed and certified by election officials.
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