STARKVILLE — It will be at least another week before voters in Ward 4 know who the Republican nominee is for their alderman seat.
Austin Check and Kevin Daniels are deadlocked at 92 votes each after in-person and absentee votes in that primary were tallied Tuesday.
City Clerk Lesa Hardin said four affidavit ballots need to be processed in that race, and by law the city must wait five days after the election on mail-in absentees that might still come in.
Hardin said the affidavits and any remaining absentees for Ward 4 would be counted starting at 4:30 p.m. April 13 at City Hall.
“The funny thing about a tie is you kind of feel the same as the day you started the campaign,” Check told The Dispatch Tuesday night. “I don’t have any regrets or don’t know anything else I could have done differently. I just wish we had a more immediate result, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
Daniels, speaking to The Dispatch, credited Check with a strong campaign but remains hopeful he will
prevail next week.
“The result was kind of surprising, and we’re staying positive and moving forward, and we’re excited about the process ahead,” Daniels said. “We’re excited about the city’s response and I have total faith in the process. I’m just looking forward to the result.”
The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Mike Books in the June 8 general election.
In the Ward 2 Democratic primary, incumbent Sandra Sistrunk cruised to a 167-89 win over challenger
Jimmy Joe Buckley. She moves on to face Republican Brice Stubbs in the general election.
“It’s a big relief,” Sistruck said after the votes were tallied. “I’m looking forward to being the Democratic nominee, and I think tonight shows people are pleased with the tenure of this administration and the direction the city is going.”
Buckley did not return a call and message from The Dispatch by press time, but Sistrunk complimented her opponent’s conduct in the race.
“I want to tip my hat to (Buckley) for putting his name in,” she said. “That’s not easy. He ran a clean campaign, and I appreciate that.”
In other races, Anna Chaney claimed the Republican primary in Ward 5, beating Brady Hindman 119-61. She will face incumbent Democrat Hamp Beatty in the general election.
Democrat Roy A. Perkins won election to a ninth term on the board, defeating challenger Santee Ezell 285-96 in Tuesday’s primary. He will not face an opponent in the general election.
All told, only 1,001 ballots were counted Tuesday across all four primaries. Hardin said only a handful of affidavits remain and possibly some absentees could trickle in. But aside from Ward 4, those ballots will not affect the outcome of the races.
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