Coots keeps Clark County coroner post in the family

Clark County

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November 5, 2008

Democrat defeats GOP’s Rick Pyke with 63 percent of the vote

Matthew Ralph The News and Tribune Wed Nov 05, 2008, 03:16 PM EST

JEFFERSONVILLE — Fifth-generation coroner Edwin “Huck” Coots kept the Clark County coroner post in the family Tuesday night, defeating his Republican challenger Richard D. Pyke.

Coots, a Democrat, took 63 percent of the vote, with a total of 28,480 votes. Pyke received 37 percent of the votes, with a total of 16,745 votes.

“I’m just glad the voters of Clark County are supporting me for another four years and I plan to serve them well,” said the 47-year-old Coots, who has been either coroner or deputy coroner for 23 years.

Coots vowed to continue to make the position of coroner “more professional” and to continue his work on the state level to improve the office.

“I’m just deeply rooted in Clark County and I feel Clark County is a great place to live,” he said.

Pyke — a 41-year-old funeral director who ran unsuccessfully for the post four years ago — said his opponent’s long-standing family connection to the office made it a difficult race to run.

“It takes a lot to run a race against a guy whose family has been doing this for 118 years,” said Pyke. “He’s a good guy and he has a good reputation.”

Pyke added that President Bush’s low approval rating also didn’t help he or his fellow Republicans on the ballot.

“It appears a lot of people went in and voted a straight [Democratic Party] ticket,” Pyke said.