Bookout, Rollins Win in Hiram; Henson Earns Dallas Seat

The Hiram City Council will have two new faces come January.

In Hiram's Post 2 council race, Kathy Bookout unseated incumbent Helena Williams after taking 73 percent of the vote to Williams' 26.7 percent, 197 to 72 votes.

"I don't take it personal at all," Williams said. "I'm excited for the new city council and I'm excited for everything that's going to come next, and I am going to be a part of it. I'm still a citizen."

Over in the Post 1 race, Prather "Pep" Rollins earned 176 votes to Steve Bray's 87, or 66.4 to 32.8 percent.

"I didn't see him (Rollins) run a campaign so it's very hard for me to talk about it," Bray said. "I never saw him talk about any issues affecting the city."

Rollins is the husband of former Hiram Mayor Carmen Rollins, . 

Rollins will succeed Alvin Sims, after the original Post 1 councilman, Jack Paris, was appointed interim mayor.

"I'm pretty happy about the results," Rollins said. "We worked really, really hard. We talked to the people, the people made the decision, and that's the way it is."

Paris was in Tuesday's elections and so will coast onto a term of his own.

In Dallas' sole contested council race, Jim Henson edged out Brian Ragsdale by a 463-319 vote, or 59.2 to 40.8 percent.

"I'm extremely thankful to the people of Dallas for the support they've given me, for the trust they've given me and elected me to this position, and I'm going to work hard to do the best job I can do for the citizens of Dallas," Henson said.

Henson will succeed longtime Councilman Frank "Bingo" McTyre, who resigned at the council's Sept. 12 called meeting due to health issues.

Ragsdale did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday. Henson lauded his opponent for his demeanor throughout the race.

"Mr. Ragsdale's a fine young man. He ran a good, clean race, as well as I did," Henson said. "There shouldn't have been a loser, and shouldn't have been a winner either way—it was just a tough thing that somebody had to win, somebody had to lose."

See Henson's complete comments to Dallas-Hiram Patch in the attached video.

In other city council races, incumbents Mike Cason and James Kelly won their Ward 2 and at large seats, respectively, to the Dallas City Council as they ran unopposed.