Democratic gains statewide and runoffs locally after Tuesday’s Special Election
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Special Elections don’t usually draw large numbers, but that was not the case for Noxubee County. More than 2,800 people cast votes in the Sheriff and Coroner races. While the turnout was good, there was still no winner in either race, and both will be headed to runoffs.
SHERIFF
Tedrick Liddell: 1097
Dontevis Smith: 1059
Ernest Eichelberger: 516
Douglas Triplett: 139
Smith and Liddell will face each other in a runoff
CORONER
Montrell Rucker: 1260
Diana Hughes Stevenson: 808
Kimberly Lewis: 601
Shanice McCloud: 100
Rucker and Hughes Stevenson go to a runoff
Statewide, redistricting as a result of a 2022 lawsuit resulted in 14 elections, but half of those were either decided in primaries or only had one candidate qualify for the spot. That left six seats in the State Senate and one in the State House of Representatives up for grabs Tuesday.
That House seat was District 22, which covers parts of Chickasaw, Clay, and Monroe Counties. That race flipped District 22 for the Democratic Party with Justin Crosby defeating the incumbent Jon Lancaster.
MS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES – DIST. 22
Justin Crosby (D): 2767
Jon Lancaster (R) (i): 2477
Elsewhere across the state Democrats picked up two seats in the Senate; District 2, which covers parts of DeSoto and Tunica Counties, and District 45, which covers parts of Forrest and Lamar Counties. Even with the gains, the Republican Party still enjoys a majority in the upper chamber, but it no longer has a super majority.
There were a couple of local races of note in the WCBI viewing area. In Montgomery County, Nora Dunn won the District 5 seat on the Winona Montgomery County School District Board, and Kevin Carnathan took the District 1 seat on the Grenada County School Board.
