WINFIELD, W.Va. - With all 48 precincts reporting, Democrat challenger Phillip Stowers defeated incumbent Putnam Circuit Court Judge Edward Eagloski on Tuesday evening.

Stowers had 12,085 votes to Eagloski's 11,734 in the Division I race for circuit judge.

"I think this is just a great win for the people of Putnam County," Stowers said late Tuesday. "We had so many people dedicated to making this a better court system."

Eagloski has served as a judge since 2001. He had no opponents in the Republican primary in May.

In the final days of the campaign, Stowers ran television ads suggesting Eagloski may not be fit to hold the position he has held for eight years, using unflattering results of a West Virginia State Bar judicial poll.

In the poll, released in April, Eagloski had the lowest ranking of any Putnam County judicial candidate. His scores include a rating between "poor" and "adequate" in the category of Intelligence/Reasoning Ability.

Stowers in turn pointed out his own score of "good" and "adequate" in all categories.

Eagloski shot back with television ads urging voters, "Don't believe the lies."

He also filed a complaint with the State Bar asking for an investigation into Stowers' use of the judicial poll in Stowers' ads.

Judge O.C. "Hobby" Spaulding ran unopposed for another term. Spaulding, a former Putnam prosecutor, has been a judge for the past 17 years.

Another incumbent, Democratic Assessor D.W. "Peachie" Arthur, also was defeated. Republican Sherry Troyer Hayes, an employee in Arthur's office, defeated her boss 12,261 to 12,002.

Hayes has worked in the assessor's office for 20 years, 12 of them under Arthur.

Incumbent Sheriff Mark Smith held a solid lead throughout the evening to retain his post. Smith totaled 15,474 votes to Democrat challenger Stan Farley's 8,799.

"I started out at 67 percent and stayed constant at 65 percent," Smith said.

Based on his record, Smith said he was confident going into the election.

"I felt I had done a good job these four years," he said. "We've done a lot in the first four years and I see nothing but progress in the next."

Farley served as sheriff from 1997 to 2004. State law barred him from running for a third consecutive term.

Putnam County Commission President Steve Andes held off his Democratic challenger for a second term.

Andes had 12,594 votes and Hurricane lawyer Bob Leslie had 10,348 votes in the commission race.

"I ran on my record and I was confident on that," Andes said.

Andes, manager of Goody's Family Clothing along Corridor G, was elected in 2002.

Leslie ran unopposed in the primary election. This was his first run for office.

For his second term, Andes said he would continue to focus on improving the county's sewer and water lines in addition to the sheriff's department and emergency services.

"I'll continue to do what we've been doing for the last six years," he said.

Putnam County has about 16,500 Democrats, 14,000 Republicans and 5,500 nonpartisan voters, County Commissioner Gary Tillis said.

Democrats have an edge in registered voters, Tillis said, but Republicans have a higher number of elected officials running for office.

The county also had about a 75 to 80 percent turnout with registered voters, Tillis said.

The race for circuit clerk was very close, with Republican Ronnie Matthews defeating Democrat Darlene Smith by a count of 11,366 to 11,253.

Reach Veronica Nett at veroni...@wvgazette.com">veroni...@wvgazette.com or 348-5113.