Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees candidate John Brown, District 1 Election Commissioner Greg Fulgham and District 3 Election Commissioner Myles Carpenter appear to be on the path to victory after Tuesday’s General Election.
The three candidates mustered strong leads in their respective races after all 21 precincts reported late Tuesday, but election workers were set to process about 1,500 absentee ballots through the night and numerous affidavit ballots at the beginning of business hours today.
A total of remaining affidavit ballots was unavailable at press time, but election workers said vote processing and counting would begin again at 9 a.m.
In all, almost 60 percent of registered Oktibbeha County voters participated in the election.
Brown, a parole and probation officer for the state with five years of public school system work experience, earned 54.47 percent of the unofficial vote Tuesday and more than doubled second-place finisher Jamila Taylor’s 1,940 vote total. A third candidate, Rondeze Harris, won 18.51 percent of the vote, or 1,349 ballots.
Brown needs to hold a 50 percent-plus-one-vote lead to avoid a runoff with Taylor, which will be held on Nov. 29 if needed. It was unknown at press time how many countywide affidavit ballots remained for this specific race.
Fulgham is close to earning his second full term after ending Tuesday with a 431-vote lead over challenger Judy Goodman. Fulgham became District 1’s election commissioner in 2010, replacing his grandmother. He defeated Goodman in 2012’s General Election.
Approximately 342 absentee and 149 affidavit ballots — more than the margin separating the two candidates — remained uncounted in the District 1 race Tuesday.
Carpenter, who is seeking his fourth full term, led challenger Paul Short 1,391-1,240 at the end of Tuesday.
Workers were set to process 215 absentee and 178 ballots — again, more than the 151 votes separating Carpenter and Short — remaining in the District 3 race this morning.
The five-person board will have one new member after District 5 Election Commissioner Bettye Ford chose not to seek another term. Replacing her is Ernest Rogers Jr., who ran unopposed in Tuesday’s election.
District 2 Election Commissioner Sissy Smitherman and District 4 Election Commissioner Joe Baker also were not challenged in the General Election.
In a contested race for Mississippi Supreme Court District 3, Place 1, 16th Circuit Court District Judge Jim Kitchens of Caledonia won 6,983 votes in Oktibbeha County, outpacing his closest opponent, John Brady, by about 3,200 votes. Statewide, the Associated Press has reported Bobby Chamberlin of Hernando placing first in the four-man race, and Brady of Columbus placing close enough in second to force a Nov. 29 runoff.
Judge Jack Wilson carried Oktibbeha County in the three-man race for District 3, Position 1 Court of Appeals judge. Ed Hannan placed second and Dow Yoder, third. Statewide, Wilson also placed first and is awaiting today’s affidavit count to determine whether he will win outright or face Hannan in a runoff.
Incumbent Republican Mississippi congressmen Gregg Harper (District 3) and Trent Kelly (District 1) both cruised to re-election Tuesday and easily carried Oktibbeha County.
While the AP called both the national and statewide races for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Democrat Hillary Clinton held an almost 200-vote lead in Oktibbeha County heading into Wednesday.
Clinton earned 48 percent of the vote, while Trump garnered almost 47 percent. The remaining ballots were split between five other candidates and 185 write-in votes.
The AP called the national race at about 1:30 a.m. after Trump won Wisconsin.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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