Dead man elected mayor of Tennessee town

Thursday, April 15 03:50 pm

A dead man was elected mayor of a small Tennessee town eager to oust a woman who'd been appointed to the job after the previous mayor died, local media reports.

Carl Robin Geary Sr., a local alderman known for "straight-talk" and always wearing overalls, was a candidate for mayor when he died of a heart attack on March 10.

He defeated incumbent Barbara Brock 268 votes to 85 in the town of Tracy City's election on Tuesday, the Chattanooga Times reported Friday.

"If he were to run again next week I'd vote for him again," Chris Rogers, owner of the town's Lunch Box restaurant, told the paper.

"I knew he was deceased. I know that sounds stupid, but we wanted someone other than her."

Elections officials said the seat would be declared vacant and the city's four aldermen would select a new mayor.

Brock, who was appointed in 2008 after the previous mayor died of a heart attack, campaigned on her efforts to beautify the town of 1,652 people.

She told the paper that she'd been defeated by a bunch of "good old boys" who didn't like the changes she'd made in town.

When asked how she felt about losing to a dead man, Brock said "I'll live."

From: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20100415/tpl-dead-man-elected-mayor-of-tennessee-10170b4.html