By Tim Delaney

Progress Editor

LIVE OAK COUNTY – Live Oak County voters numbered 4,133 in the Nov. 6 election.

The most talked-about contested race was for Live Oak County sheriff.

Democrat Larry Busby, the incumbent for 32 years, and Republican Rusty Valentine, squared off, but Busby won, 2,626 votes to Valentine’s 1,426 votes.

Busby was the only Democrat to win in a contested race in the county.

“It was different because people were saying they were going to vote straight Republican because of their dislike for Obama,” Busby said.

Busby’s concern was somewhat calmed when he asked some Republicans about the straight ticket vote.

“Most said they were going to vote straight Republican except for one,” he said.

And in this election, that was the case.

Busy said he admired his opponent’s campaign.

“He ran a clean race, and I appreciated that,” Busby said.

Valentine said he was thankful for the voters.

“I thank everybody who came out and voted. There were two great candidates, and they picked the one they liked,” Valentine said.

“There was no wrong choice. That’s the way I feel about it. I’ve known Larry for 25 years, and I have a lot of respect for him. I still do,” he said.

After serving the next four years, Busby will be tied with Jim Wells County Sheriff Oscar Lopez in the state as the longest tenured sheriff.

Busby noted that the longest tenured sheriff was Booger Pruit, who served for 45-plus years in Glasscock County.

The longest serving sheriff in Live Oak County was Albert Smith, who was tenured for 38 years.

Here are the other election results for Live Oak County:

President

Mitt Romney - 3,153

Barak Obama - 915

U.S. Senator

Ted Cruz - 2,916

Paul Sadler - 955

U.S. Rep. District 15

Dale Brueggemann - 2,740

Ruben Hinojosa - 1,143

State Senator District 21

Grant Rostig - 2,220

Judith Zafirini - 1,680

State Representative District 31

Ann Matthews - 2,779

Ryan Guillen - 1,136

District Judge, 343rd Judicial District

Janna Whatley - 3,009

Richard Zapata - 909

County Attorney

Gene Chapline - 2,329

District Clerk

Melanie Matkin - 3,140

County Tax Assessor-Collector

Mari Gonzales - 2,085

Randy Kopplin - 1,894

County Commissioner, Pct. 3

Willie James - 693

Constable, Pct. 1

James Doughty - 900

Constable, Pct. 2

Vincent Roberts - 660

Mike Ruiz - 273

Constable, Pct. 3

James Baker Jr. - 652

Constable, Pct. 4

Robert Bob Baker - 588