Stanley Hill greets supporters while his wife Peggy smiles in the background after Hill claimed the Republican nomination for the Limestone County Commission District 1 seat Tuesday.

Stanley Hill walked away with the Republican nomination for the Limestone County Commission District 1 seat in Tuesday night runoff voting.

Hill edged out opponent James Shannon by 51 votes, with Hill receiving 985 and Shannon netting 934.

Hill is unopposed for the position in the November general election.

“I’m feeling blessed,” Hill said. “I just thank the Lord for blessing me with this opportunity to handle the taxpayers’ money.”

Hill based his runoff campaign on getting voters to the polls. Experts guessed roughly four percent of registered voters would turn out for Tuesday’s runoff races, but final tallies placed a total of a 10 percent turnout in Limestone County.

Hill said he would return to his regular platform of fighting for better roads, gaining and keeping industry and controlling county spending now that he’s secured the nomination.

In the end, there were no hard feelings between the opponents.

“He worked hard,” Hill said. “We didn’t have nothing to really quarrel about. I just appreciate him having a good, clean campaign.”

Shannon said the race was close with more votes coming his way from his home districts and votes going to Hill from his districts with Athens swinging barely toward Hill.

“I think a lot of people didn’t turn out,” he said.

Shannon wasn’t visibly upset with the loss.

“I just wish (Hill) the best of luck,” he said. “He’s a nice guy. I knew it was going to be a close race.”

A retired industrialist, Shannon said he would also retire from public office once his term on the Limestone County School Board was up in November.

“I’m ready to come off,” he said. “I might just retire, it’s about time anyway.”