Editing Newellton, Louisiana (section)

==Politics==
In 2012, the former Newellton mayor, [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Alex Davis (born 1942), did not seek a fourth term. The first African American in the position, Davis unseated the 34-year incumbent Edwin G. Preis Sr.,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=edwin-g-preis&pid=152797628|title=Edwin G. Preis|newspaper=[[The Advocate (Baton Rouge)|Baton Rouge Morning Advodate]], July 29, 2011|access-date=August 2, 2011}}</ref> a white businessman, in the [[nonpartisan blanket primary]] held on October 7, 2000. Davis received 366 votes (56.8 percent) to Preis' 184 (28.6 percent), and Floyd Aaron "Coonie" McVay's 94 votes (14.6 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/10072000/10072000_54.html|title=Results for Election Date: 10/7/2000|publisher=[[Louisiana Secretary of State]]|access-date=March 16, 2014}}</ref> A native of [[Oak Grove, West Carroll Parish, Louisiana|Oak Grove]] in [[West Carroll Parish, Louisiana|West Carroll Parish]], McVay was formerly the Newellton police chief. He died in 2012 at the age of eighty.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thenewsstar/obituary.aspx?n=floyd-aaron-mcvay-coonie&pid=160599332#fbLoggedOut|title=Floyd Aaron "Coonie" McVay obituary|newspaper=Monroe News Star|access-date=October 24, 2012}}</ref>

The current mayor is the African-American Democrat Timothy Durell Turner, the former District 1 alderman, who won the election held on December 8, 2012, by a single vote, 217-216, over the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidate, James Carroll Fuller Sr. (1936-2021), the former District 5 alderman.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/12082012/12082012_54.html|title=Tensas Parish general election returns, December 8, 2012|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|access-date=December 8, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20121208/NEWS01/121208017/One-vote-decides-Newellton-mayor-s-race?odyssey=nav%7Chead|title=One vote decides Newellton mayor's race|publisher=Monroe News Star, December 8, 2012|access-date=December 10, 2012}}</ref> Fuller, who is white, is a former resident of [[Braxton, Mississippi|Braxton]], Mississippi, and [[Denham Springs, Louisiana|Denham Springs]], Louisiana.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}} Fuller had led Turner, 259 (44.7 percent) to 207 (35.8 percent), in the higher-turnout primary election held on November 6, with another 113 votes (19.5 percent) then cast for a second Democrat, Knola Ransome.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/11062012/11062012_54.html|title=Tensas Parish election returns, November 6, 2012|publisher=staticresults.sos.la.gov|access-date=December 10, 2012}}</ref>

In 2016, Fuller again challenged Turner and once again lost by one vote, 210 for Fuller and 211 for Turner.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|date=December 10, 2016|access-date=December 10, 2016}}</ref>

Fuller earlier was among 582 Louisiana elected officials named to former [[governor of Louisiana|Governor]] [[Bobby Jindal]]'s "Kitchen Cabinet Leadership Team". Two other Tensas Parish officials appointed to the panel were Assessor Irby Gamble and Coroner Keith D. Butler, both of St. Joseph.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bobbyjindal.com/news/609-bobby-jindal-announces-kitchen-cabinet-leadership-team|title=Bobby Jindal announces Kitchen Cabinet Leadership Team|publisher=bobbyjindal.com|access-date=December 10, 2012}}</ref>

The Newellton police chief, Johnny Gales (1951-2021), a Democrat, was reelected in 2012. There are five municipal alderman, one of whom, Lavone G. Garner from District 5, is a Republican. She was elected to succeed Carroll Fuller, who left the council with his first race for mayor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/11062012/11062012_54.html|title=Louisiana election returns, November 6, 2012|publisher=staticresults.sos.la.gov|access-date=November 11, 2012}}</ref> 
 
{{As of|2013}}, there were four police officers and Chief Gales in Newellton, with two marked cars and one unmarked, and eighteen volunteer [[firefighter]]s. The town clerk is Rhonda King (born 1953).<ref>http://enlou.com/communities/newellton.htm; Newellton Town Hall: 318-467-5050</ref>