The votes have been counted, and now K.L. Brown and Jay Dill will be in a runoff to see who will represent the Republican Party in the March 30th election for the vacant House Seat 40. The general election between the Republican winner, the Democratic candidate, Ricky Whaley, and Independent candidate Carol Hagan will be February 16th.

Brown took the majority of the votes cast during the Republican nomination election. He received 46.5 percent followed by Dill with 19.6 percent. Debra Jones was a close third at 18.3 percent, missing the runoff by 31 votes. Bill Lester and Tom Shelton got 10.2 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively.

Jacksonville voters had a major impact on the election, making up 37.3 percent or 861 of the 2311 votes cast. Jacksonville also had the voting place with the largest turn out. Jacksonville First Baptist Church made up 19 percent of the total district vote. In comparison, the second biggest turn out at a voting place was also in Jacksonville. Eaglepoint Church made up 9 percent of the total district vote.

Jacksonville's votes panned out a little different from the District's results. Only taking into consideration the four poling places in Jacksonville, Brown would have won without need of a runoff with 59 percent of the vote. Dill would still be in second with 14.1 percent. In a swap up of the District results, Jacksonville voters placed Lester third with 11.1 percent and Jones fourth with 10.2 percent. Shelton ends up fifth with 5.6 percent.

Brown seems to have plenty of support in Jacksonville, 47.3 percent, or 508, of his total number of votes came from the city. 26.7 percent, or 121, of Dill's votes came from Jacksonville as well.

No matter who will fill the seat, they will have to run again to keep it when it goes up for election again in November.

When Lester was asked if he wanted to run again, he wanted to first focus on supporting the other Republican candidates.

"I will have to look at what happens during the upcoming primary," said Lester. "Until then, I just want to support K.L. Brown and Jay Dill."

In interviews with the Anniston Star, Jones said she still needs to think about running again. Shelton did not think he would run again.

"I guess the message to me was to stay home," Shelton said with a laugh. "But I do appreciate my voters and for the public supporting the election."

Readers can check out page 12 of this week's paper to view the box by box results for the entire District.