Bobby Chamberlin defeated Columbus attorney John Brady in a runoff election for a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court.
Chamberlin, a judge from Hernando who serves on Mississippi’s 17th Circuit, received about 55 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s runoff, with 19,974 votes across the Northern District’s 33 counties. Brady pulled in 16,612 votes, or 45 percent.
“I’m honored that the people of north Mississippi have entrusted me with this position,” Chamberlin said. “I’m very pleased with the results and my vote totals from across the district. I look forward to serving the people of the state beginning in January.”
Despite losing the district-wide race, Brady faired very well in Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties.
Brady accrued 2,564 votes in Lowndes County, while Chamberlin received 695. Brady carried Oktibbeha County by a margin of 1,324-484.
Chamberlin said he was pleased with the tone of the race throughout both the general phase, when he and Brady were two of four candidates vying for the District 3, Position 1 seat, and in the runoff, when he said the race narrowed to “two very professional, qualified candidates.”
Brady congratulated Chamberlin on his victory Tuesday evening.
“He is a man of honor and will serve the court very well,” Brady said. “We both worked very hard to get elected. I am proud of the efforts of my team and am thankful for the experiences I have had throughout the campaign.
“I have enjoyed getting to know so many people throughout the state that I did not know before,” Brady later added. “I consider myself to be very lucky to have had this experience.”
Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge Jack Wilson won re-election to his District 3, Position 1 seat in a separate runoff race.
He won 58 percent of the vote, with 15,142 votes. His opponent, Ed Hannan, received 11,169 votes, or 42 percent.
Wilson received 2,175 votes in Lowndes County, while Hannan received 944. In Oktibbeha County, Wilson got 1,184 votes, while Hannan got 573.
Wilson, who lives in Madison, said he was thankful to voters for electing him to the seat in his first political campaign. Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Wilson to the court in July 2015.
Wilson said he’s thankful for the help and support he got from his family in running his campaign and is looking forward to returning to work with the court.
“It’s a big relief,” he said. “I’m thankful that the campaign is over. Now I’m ready to get back to work and serving the state on the court.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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