ELECTION NEWS

• Blacks: Obama's election validates past, offers hope
AME church members say their children have gained a new role model

• Vote splits tight inside Huntsville
Neither man goes over 50%; McCain wins big in county

• Griffith to keep many Cramer employees
District 5 winner says transition will be 'smooth, easy'

• Huntsville voting not quite over
Special election will fill Griffith's state Senate seat

• Amendment 3 too close to call
Officials may take weeks to break the 50-50 percent split

• Battle, Culver to attend first council meet tonight
Mayor Tommy Battle and newly-elected City Councilman Will Culver will attend their first City Council meeting tonight. The agenda includes mostly routine matters but also several proposed department head requests for Battle's new administration. More department positions will be presented for council approval in the coming months as Battle's reorganization plan unfolds.

• Can black candidate win in Alabama?
Some analysts say yes, if page taken out of Obama plan

• State vote totals
Here are the latest vote totals from state races in Tuesday's election:

• The most one-sided boxes in Madison County
For Barack Obama, For John McCain

• Long lines early but few hassles
'Most people have been very nice,' poll inspector says

• Voters line up for free treats at local chains
Until Tuesday, Starbucks, Krispy Kreme and Ben & Jerry's had never given away coffee, doughnuts and ice cream to thank the public for voting.

• Bid to equalize taxes in Madison undecided
Late Tuesday night the statewide vote was too close to call on Amendment 3 to equalize the amount of property taxes Madison residents of Limestone County pay to support Madison schools.

• Craig elected as license director
Residents of Madison County gave Democrat Mark Craig another six years as license director.

• Craig wins 7th term, credits county crews
Six-term Madison County Commissioner Jerry Craig said he is proud of being accessible to the residents of District 3.

• Democrat takes seat vacated by Cramer
After one of the most contentious congressional races in recent history, the 5th Congressional District has a new U.S. representative in Parker Griffith.

• For blacks, 'This day was coming'
Celebration jubilant at center; A&M students cheer Obama's victory

• Gillespie wins 7th term in row
Madison County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie cemented his spot Tuesday night as one of the deans of North Alabama politics, winning a seventh consecutive term.

• Hall wins 2nd term, aims for better service
Lynda Hall secured a second term Tuesday as Madison County tax collector, fending off a challenger who wants to merge the office.

• Jackson re-elects District 2 commissioner
SCOTTSBORO - Jackson County voters Tuesday re-elected Jack Allen of Hollywood to a second term as District 2 commissioner.

• Legal liquor in Arab; 2nd term for Masters
GUNTERSVILLE - Marshall County voters Tuesday overwhelmingly re-elected Joey Masters to a second six-year term as revenue commissioner, and Arab residents voted for legalized liquor sales in their city.

• Newcomers winners on Fayetteville council
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - A mood of change swept three new aldermen into office in city elections in Fayetteville on Tuesday, apparently ousting incumbents Carolyn Denton and Marty Ray Pepper.

• Region solidly Republican
Barack Obama made American political history Tuesday night, but he did it without the help of the voters of North Alabama and southern Tennessee.

• Richardson wins seat; drug court a priority
By JOHN PECK

• Roger Jones wins 3rd term, thanks friends
Democrat Roger Jones was re-elected Madison County Commissioner for District 1 by a comfortable margin Tuesday over Republican challenger Robert "Bob" Long.

• Voters return Stisher to commission seat
DECATUR - Republican Don Stisher will be returning to the Morgan County Commission where he served for eight years before he was voted out of office four years ago.

• Vote lines expected to move fast
900 workers to be available at the polls

• Area voters see election as all about economy
Opinions vary on which candidate can fix the mess

• No rest in District 5 race
Griffith, Parker keep busy today with stops, rallies

• Worker runs for county school board
Kenny Brooks enters race late as write-in candidate

• New mayors Battle, Finley to take oath
From staff reports

• The issues
The economy (sources: Obama, McCain Websites, Brookings Institution, Birmingham News)

• 'You need to win on the issues'
Christian Coalition decries Wayne Parker's Islam ad

• For Griffith, wealth tied to funerals and finance
Rolf Parker Griffith, the son of a Baton Rouge pharmacist, taught seventh-graders for a year and even attended dentistry school before settling on medicine. But that didn't last.

• For Parker, real estate just comes naturally
Wayne Milton Parker Jr. has worked briefly as a lobbyist, a stockbroker, a sales manager, a banker and even as the late-night driver of a parking lot sweeper. He has most recently sold commercial insurance.

• Early voting a big success in Tennessee
Half of electorate expected to cast ballots before Nov. 4

• Tax assessor hopefuls seek office amid growth
Drew McKay runs against incumbent Fran Hamilton

• Battle proposes city delay its budget
Mayor-elect wants to make sure city can afford costs

• Griffith says he'd push to fund Ares, health reforms
Democrat defends self against claims he was bad doctor

• 2 more sheriffs endorse Paseur for seat on court
MONTGOMERY - Deborah Bell Paseur, the Democratic nominee for the state Supreme Court, on Tuesday picked up the endorsements of two more Alabama sheriffs.

• Give me Liberty and let me VOTE
Mock election aims to teach students about civic responsibility

• Jefferson, Shelby officials back Shaw
MONTGOMERY - Greg Shaw, the Republican nominee for the state Supreme Court, picked up endorsements Thursday from two Alabama sheriffs and two district attorneys.

• Seat belongs to you, Figures tells voters
She calls Sessions the most partisan senator in office

• Alabama Supreme Court hopefuls get endorsements
MONTGOMERY - The Democratic and Republican nominees for the Alabama Supreme Court picked up endorsements Wednesday from two sheriffs and a prosecutor.

• Radical Islam remark gets time on Limbaugh show
Parker Griffith's statement that there is "nothing to fear from radical Islam" went national Wednesday, earning airtime on Rush Limbaugh's radio program.

• Yanked ad back on the air
Slightly modified GOP spot attacks Griffith's career

• Remarks taken outof context, says Griffith
In audio released by the National Republican Congressional Committee on Tuesday, Democratic congressional hopeful Parker Griffith is heard telling a church group that America shouldn't be afraid of radical Islamists.

• Kirkindall addresses Amendment 3 issue
Voters to get their say about tax on Nov. 4 ballot

• 2 TV stations cut Parker ad
Griffith raises legal objections; GOP says it will run

• Early voting set in Lincoln
Cast your ballot from Wednesday through Oct. 30