A close race that wasn’t determined until absentee ballots werecounted saw Stacey Newell defeat incumbent Johnny L. Hart Tuesdayfor a seat on the Lincoln County School Board.

When electronic vote-counting was finished, the 41-year-olddairy-beef farmer Newell held a 350-340 edge over Hart, who wasseeking his second term on the board. After all absentee andaffidavit ballots were counted by around 11:40 p.m., Newell claimeda seven-vote, 371-364 margin of victory in the Educational DistrictTwo race.

Newell thanked his supporters who helped in his campaign andthose who voted for him. He was looking forward to serving on theschool board.

“I want to keep the schools progressing like they’re going,”Newell said. “They’re going good.”

Hart, who was defeated after one term in office, congratulatedNewell after the race result was determined.

“I think the district will be in good hands and he’ll do a goodjob with it,” Hart said.

In the other Lincoln County School Board race, Kay Coon wasunopposed in Educational District One.

Coon was elected to her first full term on the board afterwinning a special election in 2003 to finish the term of herhusband, Jerry Coon. Jerry Coon served the district for nearly twodecades in office.