Posted on 11/16/2007 7:33:48 AM PST by SmithL
CHATTANOOGA — Democrat Andy Berke won a special election Thursday to replace former state Sen. Ward Crutchfield, who resigned from the General Assembly earlier this year after pleading guilty to a federal bribery charge in the Tennessee Waltz corruption sting.
According to unofficial results with 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Berke, an attorney, had 9,790 votes to 5,747 votes for businessman Oscar Brock, a Republican and son of former U.S. Sen. Bill Brock.
The results, 63 percent to 37 percent, leave the makeup of the state Senate unchanged: 16 Republicans, 16 Democrats and one independent, Mike Williams of Maynardville.
The 10th Senate District seat includes Chattanooga, Brainerd, part of Lookout Mountain, Hixson and Soddy-Daisy in Hamilton County and all of Marion County.
Crutchfield, a Democrat, had served in the General Assembly for 31 years.
In July, Crutchfield pleaded guilty to taking $3,000 from an undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of a computer and electronics company called E-Cycle Management.
E-Cycle was a fake company created by the FBI for the statewide investigation code named Tennessee Waltz.
Crutchfield was one of five sitting or former state lawmakers charged with bribery or extortion in the investigation made public in 2005.
In August, the former attorney was disbarred.
The federal bribery charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, but as a first-time offender Crutchfield likely will face a much lighter punishment.
The Tennessee Waltz lawmakers all have been convicted at trials or entered guilty pleas. Crutchfield and former Sen. Kathryn Bowers, D-Memphis, are the last waiting to be sentenced.
The others have drawn sentences of one to five years in prison.
(Excerpt) Read more at knoxnews.com ...
I’ve always wondered why Tennessee schedules their elections to be on a Thursday instead of the traditional Tuesday.
Anyone know why?
Not exactly. Though they cannot vote until the next full election to reorganize the senate, I don’t think Crutchfield counted in the last vote. Now they have a “solid” Dim in his place. With the RINO that votes Dim on organization, the Republicans need to pick up a seat or two to hang on.
No idea. LA votes on Saturday.
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