Walker County Commissioner Resorts To Personal Attacks Against An Opponent

A candidate must get close to desperation when resorting to levying personal attacks on Facebook against an opponent.  That’s what is occurring here in Walker County with our incumbent sole Commissioner Bebe Heiskell.  I was sent a screenshot where Commissioner Heiskell accused Republican challenger Shannon Whitfield that he was given bad numbers, was deceiving people with those numbers, and then accused him of being deceptive in his marriage:

Note: Highlighting was added by the person who took the screenshot.  I tried to find the actual comment itself, but it looks to have been deleted.  Of course, that was before other people took screenshots too and one of the group members addressing the matter.

Commissioner Heiskell is in the political fight of her life.  She’s been commissioner for the past 15 years and running for her 4th term.  The last few years have seem to go downhill for the Republican-turned-Independent with an increase in debt, a faltering county-owned business venture called Mountain Cove farms, and a failed regional hospital in which Walker County taxpayers will be saddled with a $8.7 million settlement to pay.

It’s unfortunate that Commissioner Heiskell has resorted to these type of attacks.  Although, I did see someone comment saying that they didn’t believe the Commissioner would say something like that.  That may be possible, but the comments were made on her account even if they weren’t her words.  I haven’t seen a retraction or apology made by Commissioner Heiskell to Mr. Whitfield.  If anything, she’s given him a political gift.

It seems to have gotten very personal and nasty on all sides.  It’s one of the reasons why I’ve kept my distance from this local race.  There are three candidates running: two Independents and one Republican, so there’s a possibility of a run-off if no one gets the magical 50%+1.  God help us if this race gets thrown into a run-off.