Get a glimpse of who’s on the ballot around the state.
A number of Mississippi cities and towns will hold Municipal Primary Runoff Elections on Tuesday, April 27.
While primaries are meant to decide who will be the Republican or Democrat nominee heading into the June Municipal General Election, in some cases Tuesday’s runoff will decide the outright winner with no General Election opponent waiting in the wings.
Here is a brief look at some of the most watched Municipal Primary Runoff Election races for Tuesday:
Hattiesburg
Democrats Vanessa Jones and Lakeylah White will meet in the Tuesday runoff. The winner will take on incumbent Independent Mayor Toby Barker in the June General Election. Barker previously served as a Republican State Representative before running and winning his first term as Mayor of the Hub City in 2017.
Jackson
The Capital City has two Ward runoffs of note on Tuesday. Democrats will decide who will represent them in Wards 4 and 5. Democrat Party staple Jacqueline Amos faces Brian Grizzell in Ward 4’s runoff while incumbent Councilman Charles Tillman tries to hold on against Vernon Hartley in Ward 5.
Meridian
Jimmie Smith, a former Lauderdale County Supervisor, topped the Democrat Primary on April 6, besting incumbent Mayor Percy Bland who finished second. Smith has picked up key endorsements ahead the Tuesday runoff, putting Bland on the defensive. The winner will move on as their party’s nominee in the General Election where he will meet Republican Robert J. Ray and current Ward 5 Councilman Weston Lindemann, a Democrat turned Independent for this election.
Moss Point
State Representative Jeramey Anderson will face Billy Knight in the Democrat runoff for Mayor on Tuesday. Anderson finished second in the April 6 Primary as Knight narrowly missed the 50% margin. The winner will face Republican Richard McBridge and Independent Howard Bailey in June. No incumbent is running in this race as former Mayor Mario King resigned following his recent guilty plea stemming from a federal fraud indictment.
Ocean Springs
Whichever Republican wins Tuesday’s runoff for Mayor will be the Mayor-elect as there are no General Election opponents. Melanie Allen was the top vote getter in the April 6 Primary while Kenny Holloway finished second. Allen has received backing from a cross section of the community, Republicans and Democrat alike, even from the former longtime Democrat Mayor Connie Moran. Holloway was endorsed by other Republicans from the Mayoral Primary, and has drawn the support of state Senators Scott DeLano and Joel Carter from Harrison County.
Poplarville
Louis Smith and Laura “Heather” Holliday will faceoff in the Republican Primary Runoff to decide who will be the city’s new Mayor.
Union
Republicans Brad Capps and Rex Germany meet in the runoff to see who will be the Union Mayor. Eight votes separated the two in the April 6 Primary, with the third place finisher drawing just 20 votes. This race could be a close one.
Vicksburg
Democrats Troy Kimble and Shawn Jackson will vie to see who will face Independent incumbent George Flaggs and Independent Daryl Hollingworth as their party’s nominee in the June General Election.
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As a reminder, polls are open Tuesday from 7am until 7pm. For more information on voting in Mississippi or to locate your precinct, visit the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website here or contact your local City Clerk or County Circuit Clerk.
Voters who cast a ballot in either the Republican or Democrat Party Primary on April 6 may return to their respective party’s runoff and vote on April 27. If you did not vote at all on April 6, you can vote in either Primary Runoff this Tuesday. However, if you voted in either the Republican or Democrat Party Primary on April 6, you cannot crossover and vote in the other party’s runoff election on April 27.
Frank Corder
