Of the defeated candidates in Tuesday’s primary election, only former sheriff Billy Wayne Fulmer on Wednesday chose to give his support to another candidate.

Fulmer, who narrowly missed qualifying for a runoff with incumbent Kevin Davis for the Republican nomination for Chilton County Sheriff, urged his supporters to vote for John Shearon in the July 13 runoff.

“John Shearon, in my opinion, will make a better sheriff than Kevin Davis,” Fulmer said. “I live in this county; I have grandkids in this county. I just want the best law enforcement available.”

Ronnie Gilbert, who also ran in the Republican primary, declined an opportunity to endorse one of the other candidates.

Likewise, Larry Raines, who was seeking the Republican nomination for superintendent of education, did not endorse either Tommy Glasscock or Dave Hayden, both of whom qualified for a runoff.

Both Davis and Shearon worked for Fulmer during his term as sheriff, which ended when Davis received nine more votes in the 2006 election.

Shearon, with 26.4 percent of the vote, received 22 more votes than Fulmer in Tuesday’s election. Both were behind Davis, who received 44 percent of the vote.

The winner of the Republican runoff will face Terry Wilson in the November general election. Wilson ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

The winner of the Hayden-Glasscock runoff will face Jason Griffin, the Democratic nomination for superintendent, and Louise Pitts, an independent candidate.

The deadline to vote absentee in the runoffs will be July 8. Those who voted absentee in the primary election and will need to also vote absentee in the runoff will have to fill out another application, before July 8.

Voters are eligible for absentee ballots if they will be out of the county on the date of the election, July 13 in this case. If you can’t visit the circuit clerk’s office in the county courthouse, call Glenn McGriff, absentee election manager, at 755-4275 to request an application be mailed to you.

The circuit clerk’s office is open from 8 a.m. until noon and 1 p.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.