Carl Geary died a month ago from a heart attack as he campaigned for the small country town. Despite his sudden death he still polled over three times as many votes as his rival in the election in Tracy City, Tennessee.
His widow, Susan Geary, was not surprised by the election results.
“The day he passed away, people were calling with condolences and saying, ‘We’re still voting for him,’” she said.
Geary was known for telling the truth and served on the city council. He received 285 votes to his rival’s 85.
“I knew he was deceased. I know that sounds stupid, but we wanted someone other than her [the current mayor],” said Chris Rogers, owner of the town’s Lunch Box restaurant.
“If he were to run again next week I’d vote for him again.”
Barbara Brock, who lost to the dead rival, had campaigned on her efforts to beautify the city which has a population of 1600 and is 80 miles from Nashville.
She was shocked that the town voted for someone who is “pushing up the daisies” instead of planting them.
Brock was elected Mayor of the town 16 months ago—after the previous mayor died of a heart attack.
Mr. Rogers said, “The headline should say ‘Mayor that filled the shoes of a dead man, beaten by a dead man.’”