Democratic Senate vote pits Stone vs. Boyd

Five races go to Aug. 28 runoff
• Democratic Senate vote pits Stone vs. Boyd

By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer

Five races on the Democratic primary ticket are set for a runoff August 28. Voters will decide between two candidates in each of five races - coroner, senator District 2, tax assessor, justice court judge North and state auditor.

For the candidates, the outcome may hinge on getting voters to go back to the polls, possibly again in the heat. Turnout for runoff races traditionally falls behind the first primary race, according to Lucy Carpenter, circuit clerk.

Voter turnout for the August 7 election was about 50 percent of the eligible registered voters.

Undecided Primary races

The Democratic party primary run-off for tax assessor is a race to watch with Juanita M. Dillard facing off with Donna Fitch Olita. Dillard took 32.5 percent of the votes to Olita’s 27 percent in the August 7 election. Both work as deputy tax assessors.

Another to watch is the justice court judge North District race in which Mae Garrison goes head-to-head with incumbent Eugene D. Brown Jr. . The two were in the runoff in 2003. Garrison received 30.7 percent of the vote in the August 7 primary to Brown’s 26 percent. Garrison works as deputy clerk in Marshall County Justice Court.

In the coroner’s race, James Richard Anderson faces incumbent John Garrison August 28. Garrison took 40 percent of the vote August 7 while Anderson got 36 percent.

The District 2 Senate race on the Democratic party ticket goes to a runoff between Bill Stone of Ashland and Henry Boyd Jr. of Holly Springs. Stone took 41.5 percent of the district-wide votes to Boyd’s 27.6 percent in the August 7 primary.

The state auditor’s runoff with feature Democratic candidates Mike Sumrall and Todd Brand.

Decided primary races

With official election results in, the following candidates won their races and do not face challengers in the November 6 general election:

Shirley Byers won the county attorney’s race with 53 percent of the vote.
Kenny Dickerson gets a fourth term as sheriff after taking 72 percent of the vote.
Don Randolph takes a second term as superintendent of education winning, 55 percent voter approval.
Incumbent tax collector Betty Byrd was unopposed.
Incumbent circuit clerk Lucy Carpenter was unopposed.
Incumbent District 2 Supervisor Eddie Dixon was unopposed.
Incumbent District 3 Supervisor Keith Taylor was unopposed.
Incumbent District 4 Supervisor George Zinn III took 69 percent of the votes.
Incumbent Constable South District Don Cothern received 65 percent of the vote.
Incumbent District 3 Attorney Ben Creekmore was unopposed.
Incumbent Commissioner of Transportation North District Bill Minor cleared the county-wide race with 78 percent of the vote and also carried the district-wide vote Minor has no opponent in November.
Republican party incumbent for the House District 52 race, Tommy Woods, was unopposed.

Races to be decided in November

Incumbent chancery clerk Chuck Thomas, unopposed in the Democratic primary, faces Republican candidate Tim Wilson in November.
Incumbent District 1 Supervisor Willie Flemon Jr. took 62 percent of the primary vote and faces Republican party opponent Scott Foster in November.
Incumbent District 5 Supervisor Ronnie Joe Bennett got 54 percent of the vote and goes up against Republican party opponent Edward Overall in November.
Incumbent Constable North District Johnny Fitch took 54 percent of the vote and faces Republican party opponent George W. Kahrs in November.
The Democratic party winner in the August 28 Senate seat runoff, either Henry Boyd Jr. or Bill Stone, faces incumbent Republican party candidate and incumbent Ralph Doxey in November.
State District 5 Representative Kelvin O. Buck was unopposed in the Democratic party primary. He faces Republican party opponent James Richard Dunworth, who won his party’s primary race with 69 percent of the vote.
In a state race of interest locally, Byhalia native Gary Anderson won the Democratic race for insurance commissioner, knocking out incumbent commissioner George Dale. Anderson faces off with the winner of the Republican Party primary, Mike Chaney, in November.
Jack Gadd, incumbent for House of Representatives District 13, had no opponent in the Democratic primary but faces Republican Party opponent John Helmert in November.
Democratic party winner John Arthur Eaves Jr. faces incumbent Haley Barbour in the race for governor in November.
Unopposed Democratic party primary candidate for lieutenant governor James “Jamie” R. Franks faces Republican party primary winner Phil Bryant in November.
The August 28 runoff winner between Mike Sumrall and Todd Brand faces Republican party candidate Stacey E. Pickering in November.
Robert H. Smith, winner of the Democratic primary for secretary of state, faces Republican party primary winner Delbert Hosemann in November.
Jim Hood, unopposed in the Democratic primary race for attorney general faces Republican party candidate Al Hopkins in November.
Shawn O’Hara, unopposed Democratic contender for state treasurer, goes up against Republican party candidate Tate Reeves in November.
Rickey Cole, unopposed Democratic contender for commissioner of agriculture, faces incumbent Republican party winner Lester Spell.
Brandon Presley, Democratic primary winner for the Northern District public service commissioner, faces Republican party candidate Mabel Murphree in November.

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