A new challenger, 27-year-old political newcomer Ernest Rogers Jr., qualified this week as the third Democrat vying for Oktibbeha County’s District 5 supervisor’s seat.
Rogers was the 32nd candidate to qualify for the county election this year and will face incumbent Joe Williams and Sylvester “Dewayne” Davis, an 18-year veteran of Starkville Fire Department, in the Aug. 4 primary.
Williams earned his seat by defeating Democrat John Young in 2011’s primary.
He is a graduate of East Oktibbeha County High School and Mississippi University for Women, and is employed with the Lowndes County School District.
Coroner’s race should expand
No other candidates qualified this week, but Coroner Michael Hunt previously told The Dispatch he will seek re-election.
Hunt ran as a Democrat in 2011 and Defeated Republican Billy Miller by almost 4,000 votes.
Two Republicans — Doug Hamilton and Chris Pollan — previously qualified for this year’s primary.
Hamilton, the brother of Circuit Clerk Glenn Hamilton, currently serves as Sturgis’ police chief and is a 32-year veteran of the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Pollan, a licensed funeral director and embalmer, spent 10 years examining financial institutions as a forensic and fraud specialist.
No changes in board races
A rematch of the District 3 supervisor showdown between incumbent Marvell Howard, a Democrat, and Republican Dennis “Denny” Daniels, will occur if no other challengers emerge in that race.
Howard secured a second term by defeating Daniels by three votes, while his Republican challenger previously staved off his GOP opposition, Benny L. Perkins, with a 404-172 margin in their primary.
Both men have military ties. Howard served in the U.S. Army, while Daniels joined the Miss. Army National Guard.
District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer, the longest-serving member and president of the board of supervisors, will face familiar foe Robert “Bubba” Lee Gray Jr., who filed as an independent candidate last month.
Trainer, a Democrat, previously defeated Gray, who ran as a Republican in the last election, by almost 700 votes.
Court clerks face opponents
Oktibbeha County’s circuit and chancery clerks both face re-election challenges this year.
Chancery Clerk Monica Banks, a Democrat, will launch her first campaign since 2007 after Republican Michael Womack turned in his qualification forms in January.
Womack, who has worked as a paramedic for North Mississippi Medical Center and Baptist Memorial Hospital, will face Banks as long as no other candidates qualify and force party primaries.
Banks was elected Oktibbeha County’s first African-American chancery clerk in 1995. She last faced an opponent eight years ago when she defeated Republican Debra Prisock Wood by almost 800 votes.
First-term Circuit Clerk Glenn Hamilton, a Republican, will face Democrat E. Regina Evans.
His seat opened up in 2011 after then-Circuit Clerk Angie McGinnis said she would not run for re-election. Glenn Hamilton defeated Democrat Teresa-Davis Roberson by almost 600 votes that year.
Evans was a chief deputy clerk during the McGinnis administration.
Justice court races crowded with Dems
Eight Democrats, including three incumbents, are vying for the county’s three justice court seats.
While two three-way races emerged in January, incumbent Judge William “Tony” Boykin Jr. will face Gay Lynn Williams, a deputy court clerk, for the right to run as the party’s candidate for the District 1 justice court judge position.
In District 2, Larnzy Carpenter, a former U.S. Marine with ties to county law enforcement, and Kennedy Neal, a long-time employee of OCH Regional Medical Center, are challenging incumbent Judge W. Bernard Crump.
District 3’s incumbent, Judge James “Jim” Mills, will face local attorney C. Martin Haug and Cheikh A. Taylor, the executive director of the non-profit Brickfire Project and part owner of Level III, a Main Street entertainment venue.
Haug is the only attorney out of all eight justice court candidates.
Former, current sheriff’s administration will face off
The race for Oktibbeha County’s top law enforcement position pits Sheriff Steve Gladney against former Chief Deputy George Carrithers in the Democratic primary.
Carrithers served as former Sheriff Dolph Bryan’s right-hand man for decades until Gladney defeated the former sheriff, who took office in 1976, by about 400 votes in the Democratic primary’s runoff election four years ago.
Gladney would go on to secure his seat by defeating Republican Rudy Johnson in 2011’s general election.
Other qualifiers
Two Democrats — incumbent Curtis Randle and challenger Andre Quinn — previously qualified for District 2’s constable position, and the primary winner will face Republican Tim Cook if no other candidates qualify.
Incumbent Constables Shank Phelps and James Lindsey will again run for their respective District 1 and District 3 positions.
Phelps, a Republican, won his election four years ago by almost 800 votes against Democratic challenger Curtis White, Randle defeated Cook by almost 900 votes and Lindsey, a Democrat, ran unopposed.
Other incumbents who have qualified include District 1 Supervisor John Montgomery, District 4 Supervisor Daniel Jackson, County Prosecutor Haley Brown, and Tax Assessor Allen Morgan.
The qualification window for this year’s primaries and general election closes 5 p.m. Feb. 27. All candidates must be qualified electors of the territory in which they are running and must never have been convicted of bribery, perjury or other infamous crimes.
Party primaries are scheduled for Aug. 4. November’s general election will occur on the month’s third day.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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