The race for Lowndes County sheriff has become a three-candidate affair less than a week after qualifying for county elections began.
Former Columbus police chief Selvain McQueen filed paperwork Thursday to run as a Democrat for the office, and Lowndes County Juvenile Detention administrator Anthony Nelson followed suit on Friday. That assures a contested Democratic primary in August, where the winner will move on to November’s general election.
Both McQueen and Nelson are vying to unseat first-term Republican incumbent Mike Arledge, who qualified Monday for re-election. No other Republicans have qualified to run for sheriff so far.
The qualifying deadline in all county races is Feb. 27.
Arledge, who was first elected in 2011 following a 25-year career with the Mississippi Department of Safety and two terms as a Lowndes County justice court judge, would not comment directly about his opponents on Friday. He said he’d prefer to let his work speak for itself — at least for now.
“It’s a little bit too early to campaign,” he said. “We’ve got a department we’ve got to run, and that’s my main focus right now.”
McQueen, who has more than 25 years of law enforcement experience, retired in 2014 after less than three years as Columbus police chief. Before that, he served stints as interim police chief and head of CPD’s Criminal Investigation Division.
McQueen did not return multiple telephone calls from The Dispatch on Friday and Saturday.
Nelson, who has worked with juvenile detention for 12 years and was a Lowndes County sheriff’s deputy for about five years before that, said he’s confident he can step into the role of the county’s chief law enforcement officer.
“I know the county, and I know the people,” Nelson said on Friday. “I have the education, the experience and the desire to do the job the way it should be done.”
The sheriff of Lowndes County earns $90,000 a year.
Brooks challenged by Turner
District 5 Lowndes County Supervisor Leroy Brooks had plenty to say after learning Columbus Ward 4 Councilman Marty Turner had qualified Friday afternoon to run against him as a Democrat.
Turner, serving his first term on the city council, becomes the second city official to seek county office this election cycle, after Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens qualified to run as a Democrat for circuit clerk last Monday.
Brooks, a Democrat in his eighth term as supervisor for District 5, questioned Turner’s qualifications to serve on the county level.
“He’s done a poor job running city business,” Brooks said. “I don’t know why he thinks he should be promoted to the county board of supervisors.”
Still, Brooks said he isn’t worried about having a primary opponent.
“This is my ninth time to run, and I’ve never run unopposed,” he said. “I’m not surprised. I’m not discouraged. I’m just going to do what I do.
“I’m going to treat (Turner) the same way I’ve treated other opposing candidates — with respect and admiration,” Brooks added. “And at the end of the day, I’m going to try to beat him.”
Turner did not return multiple telephone calls during the weekend.
In other county elections, New Hope High School assistant principal Sammy Sullivan qualified to run against first-term incumbent Lynn Wright in a Republican primary for county school superintendent, while 4-County Electric systems analyst Patrick “P.J.” Hughes qualified to face two-term Republican District 3 Supervisor John Holliman in a primary. No Democrats have qualified in either of those races.
Democrat Andre Deforrest Brown has also qualified as a Democrat for chancery clerk, a post now held by three-term Republican incumbent Lisa Younger Neese. Brown is a former Columbus police officer and Army National Guard veteran.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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