Aberdeen holds special election, voters hope new mayor can bring stability to office mired in scandal

UPDATE: The Aberdeen Clerk’s Office believes there will be a runoff election between Charles Scott and Doug Stone on April 6th.

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – The special election to chose the next mayor of Aberdeen got underway Tuesday when the polls opened at 7 a.m.

“We want somebody in office who’s going to make a difference,” said voter Christopher Stewart. “The last couple years, it’s been very bad and we just want change.”

That was the type of answer several people in Aberdeen gave when asked about what they want from their next mayor.

The much-anticipated special election will determine who will succeed embattled ex-mayor Maurice Howard after he pled guilty to embezzling thousands of dollars from the city in February.

“With all of the controversy that’s been going on, I just think, having somebody with a new set of eyes,” said Missy Ewing, who was out at casting her ballot with her mother. “A different approach to moving the city forward and everybody coming together.”

But leading up to election day, there were questions about just how many people would come together.

Aberdeen City Hall was the polling location for Ward 3. An election official told WCBI they had just under 80 voters as of 12 p.m. and that they were still concerned about low voter turnout.

“I’ve seen quite a bit (of people out) but you would think that there would be a lot more,” Ewing said.

Ward 2 residents voted at the Monroe County Courthouse and officials there said they had seen close to 100 people go through shortly before 11:30 a.m.

Aberdeen voters have six candidates to choose from: Richard Caradine, Kenyatta Howard (the former mayor’s wife), Leigh Matthews, Charles Scott, Doug Stone and Alonzo Sykes.

“I want to make sure the right person’s in there to run the town and everything,” said voter Melvin Clay. “To make sure everything is right.”

To win the election, one of those six candidates will need at least 51 percent of the city’s votes.

“I’m very hopeful that we’ll get that 51 percent,” Steward said. “I believe Charles Stone is going to get that 51 percent.”

Whoever the next mayor is, plenty of citizens hope that person can help usher in a new chapter for the small town.

“These last couple of years, Aberdeen has been trending downwards and we want to see a change,” Stewart said.” “We want Aberdeen to go up.”

If a candidate does not finish with 51 percent of the vote, the two candidates with the highest number of votes will go head-to-head in a runoff election in April.