With far less political tension than four months ago, Steve Farrow, an attorney and a former state senator from Dalton, was elected Thursday to the Transportation Board by North Georgia legislators.

Mr. Farrow will fill the seat former board Chairman Mike Evans vacated in April when he resigned after he disclosed a romantic relationship with Transportation Commissioner Gena Abraham. She was reprimanded by the board for not disclosing the relationship sooner.

The 13-person Transportation Board oversees and directs the Department of Transportation, and members are elected by secret ballot from state lawmakers who are from the corresponding congressional district.

Electing a board member from the western part of the 9th Congressional District was important to many legislators, said Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

He said there has not been a board member from the Northwest Georgia corner for many years. Mr. Evans is from Cumming in Forsyth County, in northeastern metro Atlanta.

The 9th District comprises 14 counties, plus half of Gordon County, and stretches across the entire northern border except for Towns and Rabun counties in the northeastern corner.

“We’ve had great representation from our board members, but it’s very important they’re aware of our needs automatically,” Sen. Mullis said.

Mr. Farrow faced three opponents, two of them also from the western part of the district: Dalton businessman Phil Neff, Lookout Mountain City Councilman Ray Seipp and former DOT deputy commissioner Larry Dent, from the Gainesville area.

Mr. Neff and Mr. Seipp withdrew after the first secret ballot, and Mr. Farrow won by a “wide margin” against Mr. Dent on the second ballot, said Sen. Mullis, who had nominated Mr. Seipp on the first ballot.

A nominee must receive at least 13 of the 24 members’ votes to win.

The new board member said he plans to “represent the entire 9th Congressional District.”

“However, when there are needs in my home county, I’ll respond to those as well,” said Mr. Farrow, who served in the state Senate from 1993-97, and also was chairman of the state Ethics Commission after being appointed in 2003.

A retreat with the Transportation Board next month will help him get up to speed on the DOT’s changing priorities and budget shortfalls, Mr. Farrow said.

“It’s probably not going to be a typical board member’s experience from prior decades,” he said. “It seems (DOT) is in an entirely different mode — pulling back and figuring out how it overextended itself. There’ll be a lot less fun and enjoyment.”

Rep. Roger Williams, R-Dalton, said he thinks Mr. Farrow “will help us” with road projects in Whitfield County, where the a state funding pledge from Mr. Evans remains uncertain, although county residents followed through in passing a special purpose local options sales tax for road projects.

“One of my first efforts will be to get with Steve,” Rep. Williams said.

Mr. Farrow said Thursday since he is filling a five-year term not yet expired, he’ll try to honor priorities set by the board and Mr. Evans.

Rep. David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, and Rep. John Meadows, R-Calhoun, nominated Mr. Farrow.

“He’s is an agent of change, and we all know there needs to be change in the DOT,” said Rep. Meadows.

Recent audits have found the agency is facing shortfalls in the billions of dollars in the coming years.

Rep. Meadows was among four legislators stripped of committee leadership positions in February after voting to re-elect Mr. Evans to a second term, instead of supporting Speaker Glenn Richardson’s chosen candidate.

This time around, Republican leadership stayed out of the Transportation Board election, which Rep. Meadows said was “good for everybody.”

“In fact, I’m standing in the speaker’s office right now,” Rep. Meadows said during the Thursday afternoon phone interview. He said, though, he had “no idea” whether he would have his leadership positions restored if re-elected this November.

The political struggle began last fall when the Transportation Board voted to hire as commissioner Dr. Abraham, Gov. Sonny Perdue’s choice, instead of the speaker’s choice, state Rep. Vance Smith, R-Pine Mountain.

Mr. Evans’ vote helped her win a one-vote majority.

In retaliation, Speaker Richardson put up an opposition candidate, Stacey Reece, a former state representative, against Mr. Evans in the DOT board election held in February. Mr. Evans won re-election, and Speaker Richardson punished the representatives who voted for Mr. Evans by stripping them of their committee leadership assignments.

Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger, was kicked out of his prestigious Capitol office and lost his powerful committee “hawk” position that allowed him to vote on all House committees, as well as losing a Ways and Means subcommittee chairmanship and other posts.

The other North Georgia legislators selected Rep. Graves to preside over Thursday’s board elections in Atlanta.

“It showed a sign of peacemaking within the House,” said Rep. Martin Scott, R-Rossville, who also lost leadership positions for voting to re-elect Mr. Evans.

Rep. Meadows said none of the House members seem to have hard feelings over Mr. Evans’ resignation.

Mr. Evans and Dr. Abraham announced this month they’re engaged to be married.

“I haven’t heard anything but good wishes for his future endeavors of getting married,” Rep. Meadows said.