Published: November 05, 2008 12:44 am      

Tax Assessor/Collector: Hudson wins full term

Russell Hudson won reelection to the position of Tax Assessor/Collector, but he wasn’t sweating it out at the courthouse, instead, he went to a basketball game, trying to find something to distract him from the vote tallies.

When he found out by a cell phone call from his father, Harry Hudson, that he had indeed won, he left.

“I didn’t stay for the end,” Russell Hudson explained. “I left because I could breathe.”

Hudson indeed had breathing room, winning with nearly 64 percent of the vote, with 9,996 votes, to Michael Kaster’s 5,711 votes, or 36 percent of the overall votes cast.

Hudson praised his parents and friends for their support.

“They were priceless in this campaign,” Hudson said of his parents. “I couldn’t have done it without Mom and Dad. They just kept me going, and never complained, they were always right there by my side.”

Hudson was appointed to the position last year, and will continue through 2012 with Tuesday’s election outcome.

“I’m going to go back to work and collect taxes and car registrations, the fun stuff,” he said. “I love doing that stuff. Pretty much everybody in the county comes through that office at least one time a year, so you get to see everybody.”

Reached at a Democratic Party event Tuesday night, Michael Kaster said he was disappointed, but was “OK” with the results. He said he wasn’t sure if he’d run again in four years.

“I’m still recovering from this one,” Kaster said.

After finding out the results of the election, Hudson wasn’t exactly headed to Disney World.

“I wasn’t able to eat all day, so I’m going to Whataburger, and then Dr. Joe (Saucedo) and I are going to go start pulling up signs. Sounds like a fun way to spend election night, doesn’t it?”

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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com