CLAY COUNTY — A little more than a week into the qualifying period for county offices, all five Clay County supervisor seats and the sheriff’s race are contested.
Incumbent Sheriff Eddie Scott is seeking reelection, and has drawn one Democratic primary opponent so far in Cedric Sykes.
Scott, who was first elected in 2012, said he looks forward to continuing serving the community through the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and focusing on mental health.
“One of our biggest challenges is mental health,” Scott said. “Right now it’s steadily increasing the number of individuals that we’re dealing with. We have a state hospital that only has eight beds to send these people to, so we’re trying to figure out what we can do.”
Scott’s tenure has overseen the implementation of a special response team to respond to “dangerous situations” and the establishment of the K-9 program.
Sykes boasts 13 years of law enforcement experience. He served on police forces in West Point, Aberdeen and Maben, among others, and as a school resource officer in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. Sykes unsuccessfully ran for sheriff in 2015.
He said he would like to work on and improve the relationship between the people of Clay County and law enforcement.
“Law enforcement don’t have a good name like they used to when I was a child,” Sykes said. “I want to improve the relationship in the community, so they can trust us again. I want (law enforcement) to regain the trust and respect of the people again.”
Qualifying deadline is Feb. 1. Party primaries are set for Aug. 8 and the general election on Nov. 7.
Supes races
All five supervisor seats will be contested in the upcoming elections, and as of Tuesday afternoon, three of five incumbents have qualified for reelection.
Incumbent Lynn Horton and Mike Duke have both qualified as Democrats for District 1.
Horton, who has served as a supervisor for 18 years, said his experience makes him the best candidate.
“I know what needs the county has and wants,” Horton said. “I have a passion for what I do. I have the experience, and I know how to get the job done.”
Duke did not leave contact information on his qualifying form and could not be reached for comment by press time.
In District 2, Bob Lummus and Daryl Tomas, both Democrats, have qualified. Lummus is a brother to incumbent Luke Lummus, who is not seeking reelection.
Bob said watching and helping his brother through his 28 years of service has allowed him to see that supervisors are there to help the community. If elected, he wants to help people understand what the supervisors can and can’t do while addressing issues such as road issues and trash.
“So many people have no idea that you have a little budget, and you have to stretch it,” Lummus said. “The county supervisors do a whole lot more than people realize. We need help with everything — with the county volunteers, like on the fire department. You just have to do all you can.”
Thomas did not leave contact information on his qualifying form and could not be reached by press time.
The District 3 seat has four qualified candidates, including incumbent Democrat R.B. Davis, fellow Democrats Heath Donahoo and Jake Pollard and Republican Larry Smelt.
Davis, who has been on the board since 2004, said he wants to continue to bring economic development to West Point because when he began he saw how the closing of the Bryan Foods impacted the area.
“When Bryan Foods went out of business, that was devastating to the county,” Davis said. “We didn’t know what to do because our tax base went down and we didn’t have any extra money coming in. We ended up getting with the (Golden Triangle Development) LINK, with Joe Max Higgins, and it’s been excellent since then. … I’d like to continue the economic growth within our community.”
Pollard has lived in District 3 his entire life and said he was inspired to serve by his father, who passed away two years ago. His dad intended to run for supervisor in this race, so Pollard said running for supervisor has been on his mind since then.
Pollard said he wants to hear what the concerns the community has, so he can address those if elected.
“I need to hear what the community has to say, not just what I think,” Pollard said. “Before I make promises that I can’t keep, I want to know what I can do as far as helping people.”
Donahoo and Smelt did not leave contact information on their qualifying forms and could not be reached for comment.
After 32 years of service as the District 4 supervisor, Democrat incumbent Shelton Deanes has not yet qualified for the upcoming election.
Instead, Democrats Catina Brown, Rashaan Ivy, Melvin Raines, Barry Smitherman and Charles Young have qualified for the seat and will face each other in the primary election.
Ivy, a resident of Clay County for 34 years, works as a barber and said he wants to be a supervisor because he realized the impact that can be made in the health and safety of those living in the county. If elected he would like to focus on improving both health and safety.
“I enjoy living in Clay County, as it is a place that is welcoming and where friends are more like family,” Ivy said. “If elected, I would like to develop better strategies to build a healthier community and a safer place where our families can call home. My motto is, ‘Work with me as I work for change.’”
Brown, Raines, Smitherman and Young could be reached by press time, as they did not leave contact information on their qualifying forms.
For the District 5 seat, Democrat incumbent Joe Chandler will face Jeremy Harpole in the primary elections. Neither could be reached by press time.
Other qualifiers
Democrats Robin Brown and Stephen Ross have both qualified for the county prosecutor position.
The justice court judgeship for District 1 will have Democrat incumbent Thomas Hampton face Clarissa Harris in the primaries.
Democrat LaFrance Hamilton Boyd qualified for the chancery clerk race. Incumbent Amy Berry has not yet qualified and could not be reached by press time for comment.
Albert Lee and James McKee, both Democrats, will face each other for the District 2 constable seat, in which incumbent Charles “Lewis” Stafford, Jr. has not yet qualified.
Other incumbents that have qualified include: Alvin Carter, Democrat, coroner; Kim Brown Hood, Democrat, circuit clerk; Lynn Horton, Democrat, District 1 supervisor; Sherman Ivy, Democrat, District 1 constable; Porsha Lee, Democrat, tax assessor/collector; Chris McBrayer, Democrat, District 2 justice court judge.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 45 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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