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The1966 Macon County Sheriff election was held on November 8, 1966, to elect the sheriff ofMacon County, Alabama. The primary election was held on May 3, and the primary runoff was held on May 31.[1]
TheVoting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law on August 6, 1965. In 1960, less than 10% ofAfrican Americans in Alabama were registered to vote, in part due to various legal measures designed to prevent them from voting, such aspoll 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 byGovernorGeorge Wallace in January 1965 following the resignation of Preston Hornsby, after he was elected as probate judge.[3][4] He had served on Wallace's1962 campaign, the head of the campaign in Macon County.[4]
TheMacon County Democratic Club endorsed Amerson in April, which was predicted to increase turnout among African American voters.[7]
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
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]
After losing the Democratic primary, Sadler ran against Amerson in the general election as awrite-in candidate.[12]
On November 9, 1965,United Press International reported a victory for Amerson, showing him leading with 96% of the vote counted.[13]
| 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 | ||
Amerson became the first black sheriff in the south sinceReconstruction.[14] In the days following the election, he received a congratulatory telegram from Vice PresidentHubert Humphrey, and was invited toThe White House to meet PresidentLyndon B. Johnson.[15]
Amerson would go on to be re-elected again in 1970, defeating Sadler, who ran as an independent.[16] He was re-elected three more times, serving a total of 20 years, before his retirement in 1987.[15]
