Following his win during the county primary on Tuesday, Bedford County Mayor Chad Graham held a reception at the Ag Center on Midland Road to celebrate.  

Graham told the T-G, “Running for office is a tremendous commitment and my family, including Denise, were all in! I am grateful for the voter confidence in my leadership and look forward to making Bedford even better!”  

Graham’s wife, Denise “Punkin” Graham died last August. His children, Daryl Graham and daughter, Nikita Hampton, and her family, all attended the mayor’s victory party.  

The “Making Bedford even better” slogan has now carried Graham through two mayoral elections.  

The county mayor, previously known as the county executive or county judge, is the county’s chief executive officer, elected by the public every 4 years. Graham chairs the commission.  

Mayor Graham was born and raised right here in Bedford County just outside of Bell Buckle. He is a product of the Bedford County public school system, graduating from Cascade High School in 1985. He served in the U.S. Army and is a graduate of the University of Alabama Huntsville’s paramedic program. He’s a member of the local Republican party and a member of Edgemont Baptist Church in Shelbyville.