“Rodgers, Hodges Win Council Seats,” The Anniston Star

[Partial headline above, cut off: “Six in runoffs”]

Rodgers, Hodges win council seats

By PATRICIA GREENE and HOWARD MILLER, Star Staff Writers

[Photo caption:] Norwood Hodges and Dr. Gordon Rodgers … winners in Tuesday's city election. Star Photo by Ken Elkins

Dr. Gordon Rodgers and Norwood Hodges have won their seats on Anniston's city council, but a candidate who will go into one of three runoffs says voter apathy made the runoffs necessary.

Dr. Robert C. Simmons, will face Jimmy Gardner in a runoff for the Ward 1 council seat, as he did in the 1969 election, told The Star he is disappointed with the voter turnout — a scant 25 per cent of the city's registered voters.

“I'm disappointed, of course, that I didn't win without a runoff, but more than that, I am upset with the almost total voter apathy,” Simmons said.

“THE SAME THING happened in 1969 … lack of voter support in that election gave the city results that were not what the majority of the people wanted,” he said.

Voting was light throughout the city; the unofficial vote totals show only 4,444 persons cast ballots Tuesday. This was slightly less than the 1969 turnout. A runoff election for Wards 1, 3 and 5 is set for Sept. 18 at the same polling places and during the same hours, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Incumbent Jimmy Gardner and Simmons will meet in the Ward 1 runoff election; Jim Boyd and incumbent Lawrence Cater oppose each other for the Ward 3 seat; and Glenn Gordon and Gene Stedham are paired off in the Ward 5 race.

“AFTER BEING around for four years, it is an honor to get re-elected,” Rodgers told The Star after the unofficial results were announced. “I think it means the people approve of my efforts during the last four years. I want to say congratulations to my opponent, a gentleman to the end.”

Rodgers was opposed in Ward 2 by Pink “Junior” Wood. Final unofficial tallies showed Rodgers won votes 2305 to Wood's 1872.

Automobile dealer Hodges said he is “excited and very optimistic” about his victory in Ward 4.

“I view this as an opportunity to get into city government at a time when the future looks good,” Hodges said.

“I believe the past council has built a good foundation and we need to move forward. We need to correct some of the problems discussed during the campaign. The most important things are those we heard during the campaign and we should meet these needs.”

HODGES TOOK the Ward 4 race with 1,15[…] votes. His nearest competitor was Ci[…] Bourg who compiled 1,012. J. T. “Pete” Co[…], an unsuccessful candidate during the 196[…] election, ran third with 832 votes.

Incumbent Jimmy Gardner and Dr. Robert Simmons Jr., meet once again in a runoff for the Ward 1 spot. They were opponents during the 1969 election for city councilman. During that race Simmons led Gardner into the runoff with over 600 votes but Gardner won.

During the upcoming runoff Gardner [is] again running second to Simmons with the votes tallying Simmons, 1,934, and Gardner 1,604.

Gardner said he wanted time to look ove[r] … [cut off at the right edge]

(See 3 Council, Page 5A)

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