Of Golden Triangle counties, Clay had the largest percent of voters head to the polls for the primaries.
More than half of the county”s registered voters cast ballots at the polls, and the county still has a handful of affidavit ballots and 800 absentee ballots to sort through.
Clay County Circuit Clerk Bob Harrell attributed the high voter turnout (51.95 percent) to purging the voter rolls; contested supervisor races also helped.
“Anytime you have contested supervisor races, that brings a lot of people,” Harrell said.
In Lowndes County, 36.4 percent of voters cast ballots, which Circuit Clerk Haley Salazar said is “pretty good” for a primary.
“It”s not great, but we”ve had much worse,” said Salazar.
In Oktibbeha County, 33.97 percent of voters cast a ballot.
Results of Lowndes, Clay, Oktibbeha and Noxubee elections, as of this morning, are listed on Pages 8 and 9A. Final results, including absentee and affidavit ballots, will be released later.
The following races are headed to runoffs on Aug. 23:
- In Clay County, Democrats Linda F. Hannah and Paige Dendy Lamkin will meet in a runoff for tax assessor/collector.
The winner will face Republican Becky Coe in the general election.
Incumbent Teretha Rupert is retiring.
- In Lowndes County, Republican sheriff”s candidates Bo Harris and Mike Arledge are headed to a runoff.
The winner will face Democrat Selvain McQueen in the general election.
Republican Superintendent of Education candidates Edna McGill and Lynn Wright are headed to a runoff. The winner there will face Democrat Cliff Reynolds and independent candidates Rusty Greene and Roger Hill.
- In Oktibbeha County, Democratic Sheriff Dolph Bryan will face a yet-to-be determined candidate in a runoff. Other candidates, Steve Gladney, Charlie Sanders and Jessie “Bone” Oden finished with numbers close to each other.
The Democratic candidates for Oktibbeha County circuit clerk, Teresa Davis-Roberson and Dave Holley will meet in a runoff to replace Angie McGinnis, who has served 22 years and did not see re-election this year.
The Democratic nomination for Oktibbeha County Tax Assessor/Collector also will go to runoff. Debbie Carrithers earned 2,383 votes and will face Velisia “Lisa” Wynn, who earned 1,945 votes.
In the six-candidate field for the Democratic bid for District 5 supervisor, incumbent John L. Young will face Joe L. Williams.
- In Noxubee County, which has all Democrats in its county races, Sherman Patterson and A. “Dooley” Belgrave will meet for a runoff for District 3 supervisor, unless absentee and affidavit ballots push Patterson over his 49.89 percent of the vote.
District 5 supervisor candidates Bruce “Bernard” Brooks and R.L. Wells will meet in a runoff.
Southern district constable candidate Lucious Mason Jr. will enter a runoff with Bobby Dale.
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