Editor’s Note: This has been updated to reflect Lowndes Sheriff Mike Arledge will not seek re-election.
Nearly 30 candidates filed paperwork to run for county offices in Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties on Wednesday.
Wednesday was the first day to qualify for this year’s elections, which include all elected county positions. Qualifications will remain open until March 1 and primaries are set for Aug. 6.
In Lowndes County, Supervisor Bill Brigham said he will not seek a third term on the board. Brigham, who is beginning his eighth year on the board representing District 2, said he feels it is time to step away from that position.
“I’ve enjoyed it for seven years,” he said. “It’s been a good job, not a hard job. It’s been enjoyable most of the time, but I’ll be 75 years old here soon. I just kind of want to have my time back. I think it’s time to turn it over to someone else.”
Brigham said he’s liked working with his fellow board members through the years and feels the board has been committed to doing what’s best for the county. He’s particularly proud that the county built a new health department building, the E-911 emergency management building and renovated justice court with money from its sale of the former county hospital.
Trip Hairston qualified to run as a Republican for District 2’s supervisor position on Wednesday.
Brigham said he knows Hairston from working with him on the YMCA Board of Directors and is confident in him.
“I think we’ve got a good man who’s committed to run,” he said.
Hairston is a medical administrator at Nephrology Associates and owns a consulting firm, Golden Triangle Business Ventures LLC, that primarily helps medical startups. He’s formerly worked as a budget analyst for the Mississippi Legislature and said his father served for eight years as Lowndes County administrator.
“Mr. Brigham isn’t seeking re-election as an incumbent, so I talked to him about what that post entails and all that,” Hairston said. “I felt it was a good thing for me to do as far as being a public servant … and I think I can represent District 2 very well.”
Hairston was the only candidate to qualify for the District 2 election as of Wednesday afternoon.
All other incumbent supervisors — District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders, District 3 Supervisor John Holliman, District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith and District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks — each qualified on Wednesday. None had an opponent as of Wednesday afternoon.
In other races, Chris Hemphill qualified to seek another term as District 1 Justice Court judge; Peggy Phillips qualified to seek another term as District 3 Justice Court judge; Greg Merchant qualified to seek another term as coroner; Teresa Barksdale qualified to seek another term as circuit clerk.
Rick Jones, the former Lowndes County Adult Detention Center administrator, qualified to seek election as sheriff. Jones confirmed his intention to run to The Dispatch in April 2018 after saying that current Sheriff Mike Arledge pressured him into retiring from his position at the jail in late 2017.
Arledge told The Dispatch Thursday he will not seek re-election.
Cindy Egger Goode qualified as a Republican to seek election to the chancery clerk’s office.
Oktibbeha County
In Oktibbeha County, a possible rematch of 2015’s District 4 supervisor election is brewing.
Former District 4 Supervisor Daniel Jackson registered to run for office late Wednesday afternoon.
Jackson served two terms on the board, from 2008 to 2015, before losing his seat to current Supervisor Bricklee Miller. Miller defeated Jackson by 46 votes in 2015’s election.
Jackson, who presently teaches seventh-grade science at Ackerman, told The Dispatch he’s considered returning to public office since the election.
“I just decided that I would throw my name back in the race again and see how things go, and one way or another it’ll work out,” Jackson said.
Oktibbeha County faces infrastructure needs, Jackson said, and he said he knows from his own experience that money can be tight and the county can’t always rely on getting funding from the state.
“There’s always issues with infrastructure,” he said. “But as far as any gripes or complaints, I have no hard feelings toward anybody, as far as the reason I’m getting back in the race. I enjoyed my eight years and I’m ready to go back to work for the residents of District 4.”
Miller did not qualify to run by the end of the day Wednesday. Miller told The Dispatch on Thursday morning she plans to make an announcement “soon” as to whether she’ll seek re-election.
In District 3, Golden Triangle Planning and Development District Executive Director Rudy Johnson qualified as a Republican to run against three-term incumbent Marvell Howard.
Howard, a Democrat, qualified to seek a fourth term on Wednesday.
Johnson mounted an unsuccessful run for the sheriff’s office eight years ago and ran for a justice court judge position in the 1970s.
“I just decided in the last few days whether I wanted to do it or not,” Johnson said. “What I want to do is use my experience. I’ve been the (GTPDD) director for 28 years and I want to use the experience I have to try to help Oktibbeha County grow. I want people to be held accountable.”
District 1 Supervisor John Montgomery and District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer also qualified to seek re-election. District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams did not qualify by the end of the day and did not respond to calls for comment by press time.
In other races, Shank Phelps is seeking re-election as constable, James Lindsey is seeking re-election as constable; Allen Morgan is seeking re-election as tax assessor; Sharon Livingston is seeking re-election as chancery clerk; William Tony Boykin is seeking re-election as justice court judge; Steve Gladney is seeking re-election as sheriff; Curtis Randle is seeking re-election as constable; Kennedy Neal is seeking re-election as justice court judge; Haley Brown is seeking re-election as county prosecutor and Larnzy Carpenter Jr. is seeking re-election as justice court judge.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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