It is unclear how the death of Steve Lay, the No. 2 candidate in the Cedar Bluff mayor’s race, will affect a lawsuit that already resulted in the postponement of the runoff election.

The runoff originally scheduled for Tuesday had been postponed by order Monday of Etowah County Circuit Judge William H. Rhea III. The runoff was to be rescheduled after the settlement of the lawsuit relating to challenged absentee ballots in the Aug. 26 municipal election.

Steve Lay died shortly after 3 p.m. Friday at a Rome, Ga., hospital following complications that developed during and after lengthy cardiac surgery on Monday.

A lawsuit involving  the race for mayor and council seats for districts 1 and 2  was initiated by Jimmy Wallace, who placed third in the election in August. Wallace is challenging the legality of some of the absentee ballots cast in the race.

Gadsden Times