Digh Allen edges out Zeugin in Public Administrator race

Karen Digh Allen enjoys her victory after leaving the Callaway County Courthouse for Brooklyn Pizza. Digh Allen narrowly defeated challenger Kitty Zeugin.
Karen Digh Allen enjoys her victory after leaving the Callaway County Courthouse for Brooklyn Pizza. Digh Allen narrowly defeated challenger Kitty Zeugin.

In a close race, incumbent Karen Digh Allen defeated challenging Republican Kitty Zeugin by a margin of just over 400 votes for the county's Public Administrator seat.

According to the final unofficial summary report released by the Callaway County Clerk's office, Digh Allen won with 7,994 votes to Zeugin's 7,510, or 51.46 percent of the vote to 48.40 percent.

A race this close was new territory for Digh Allen, who with few exceptions has ran unopposed for most races since she was elected in 1997.

"I'm very excited to continue taking care of the clients of the Public Administrator's office," she said. I've got a good team and I know we're on the same page."

Digh Allen said that continuing to work with the team she has built over the years will help the office transition smoothly into a paperless filing system, which Callaway County will serve as a pilot county for that transition that will take affect in the coming years statewide.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.