1966 Macon County, Alabama Sheriff election
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The 1966 Macon County Sheriff election was held on November 8, 1966, to elect the sheriff of Macon County, Alabama. The primary election was held on May 3, and the primary runoff was held on May 31.[1]
Background
[edit]The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law on August 6, 1965. In 1960, less than 10% of African Americans in Alabama were registered to vote, in part due to various legal measures designed to prevent them from voting, such as poll taxes. The Voting Rights Act meant that this would be the first time that African Americans had legal protections against such restrictions, resulting in a much higher number of African Americans registering to vote in Alabama.[2]
Incumbent sheriff Harvey Sadler was appointed to the position by Governor George Wallace in January 1965 following the resignation of Preston Hornsby, after he was elected as probate judge.[3][4] He had served on Wallace's 1962 campaign, the head of the campaign in Macon County.[4]
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Lucius D. Amerson, former U.S. Army paratrooper[5]
Eliminated in runoff
[edit]- Harvey Sadler, incumbent sheriff[6]
Campaign
[edit]The Macon County Democratic Club endorsed Amerson in April, which was predicted to increase turnout among African American voters.[7]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lucius D. Amerson | 2,725 | 44.22 | |
| Democratic | Harvey Sadler (incumbent) | 2,637 | 42.79 | |
| Democratic | Others | 800[a] | 12.98 | |
| Total votes | 6,162 | 100.00 | ||
Runoff
[edit]Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lucius D. Amerson | 3,497 | 52.90 | |
| Democratic | Harvey Sadler (incumbent) | 3,113 | 47.10 | |
| Total votes | 6,610 | 100.00 | ||
Aftermath
[edit]
At 8:15 PM, Amerson received news of his victory from a campaign staffer.[10] Sadler conceded the election after results came in, stating, "There's no hard feelings between me and him. I wish him luck."[9]
Third-party candidates
[edit]Third Party for America
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Bob Dawson[1]
General election
[edit]After losing the Democratic primary, Sadler ran against Amerson in the general election as a write-in candidate.[11]
Results
[edit]On November 9, 1965, United Press International reported a victory for Amerson, showing him leading with 96% of the vote counted.[12]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lucius D. Amerson | 3,868 | 64.26 | |
| Democratic | Harvey Sadler (incumbent, write-in) | 2,002 | 33.26 | |
| Third Party for America | Bob Dawson | 149 | 2.48 | |
| Total votes | 6,019 | 100.00 | ||
Aftermath
[edit]Amerson became the first black sheriff in the south since Reconstruction.[13] In the days following the election, he received a congratulatory telegram from Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and was invited to The White House to meet President Lyndon B. Johnson.[14]
Amerson would go on to be re-elected again in 1970, defeating Sadler, who ran as an independent.[15] He was re-elected three more times, serving a total of 20 years, before his retirement in 1987.[14]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Figure may not be exact
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Gale, Mary Ellen (November 13, 1966). "Amerson Elected Macon Sheriff Despite Sadler Write-in Effort" (PDF). Vol. 2. The Southern Courier. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
- ^ "Civil Rights Movement Alabama Elections of 1966 Resources". Civil Rights Movement Archive. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
- ^ "White-Negro Races Draw". The Anniston Star. May 31, 1965. p. 7.
- ^ a b "Macon Sheriff Resigns Post". Decatur Daily. January 14, 1965. p. 7.
- ^ "Whites Claim Negro Sheriff Will Be Killed". Tuskegee, Alabama: The Cullman Times. June 2, 1966. p. 1.
- ^ Felder, James (May 4, 1966). "Two Negroes Force Way Into Runoffs". The Cullman Times. p. 1.
- ^ "Expects to be Ala.'s 1st tan sheriff" (PDF). The Baltimore Afro-American. April 30, 1966. p. 14. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ "Vote Splits All Over Macon County" (PDF). The Southern Courier. May 8, 1966. p. 5. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
- ^ a b "Macon Sheriff Nominee Takes Victory in Stride" (PDF). The Southern Courier. June 5, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
- ^ "Alabama: Real Reconstruction". Time. June 10, 1966. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ "Negro Is Elected Sheriff In Macon County, Ala". The New York Times. November 9, 1966. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
- ^ "Negro War Veteran First Ala. Sheriff". The Cullman Times. United Press International. November 9, 1966. p. 1.
- ^ "Highway Dedicated to First Black Sheriff in the South, Macon Co". WAKA 8. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
- ^ a b Ruane, Michael E. (August 14, 2008). "Sheriff Made History Simply by Doing His Job". Washington Post. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
- ^ "Blacks score gains". The Anniston Star. Associated Press. November 4, 1970. p. 6.
