By Amy Thrash • amy@southerntorch.com

DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. — Incumbent DeKalb County Commissioner Chris Kuykendall defeated Fort Payne’s building maintenance supervisor Tony “Buck” Keef after the lone Commission race on Tuesday’s ballot came to a halt.

DeKalb County Commission District 3 covers Fort Payne, Collinsville, and most of Lookout Mountain.

Kuykendall said in his victory speech that this term would be his last.

“I would like to thank the voters for giving me one last term,” he said. “Twelve years is enough.”

The final results were:

Tony “Buck” Keef - 1,025 Votes

Chris Kuykendall - 1,521 Votes

Kuykendall has lived in the Mount Vernon area of Lookout Mountain for over forty years and owns a cattle operation and is a State Farm Insurance Agent in Fort Payne. He has four children, four grandchildren and one great grandson.

“I have been very fortunate to run in two primaries and one general election,” Kuykendall continued. “The people I ran against were not my opponents, they were my competitors [and] fine gentlemen. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have worked with them.”

Kuykendall does not have an opponent in November, so he will be re-sworn into his position for a new term in January.