Terry elected mayor of Holly Springs

District 1 supervisor Charles Terry won the contest for mayor of Holly Springs at the June 3 general election. Two aldermen races were decided and the race for alderman of Ward 1 hung in the balance with a tie vote Tuesday.

Terry received 701 out of 1,589 total votes versus 561 votes scored for mayoral candidate Tim Liddy and 297 votes for Rodney LaBarron Lowe. There were 13 write-ins.

Terry swept Wards 1, 2 and 4, leaving Ward 3 to candidate Liddy.

In the aldermen races, incumbent Andre Jones was reelected as alderman of Ward 2 scoring 163 votes out of 401 votes cast. First time candidate LéKesha DeBerry took 90 votes and former Ward 2 alderman Lennell “Big Luke” Lucas received 142 votes.

In the Ward 1 alderman contest, newcomers Sandra Hodges and Kylon Freeman tied at 154 votes each out of a contest total of 315 votes. The outcome of the election hinges on any late mail in absentee votes and on two questionable “overvote” ballots. The contest total was 315.

One person voted for two mayors and one voter was not on the active voter roll. Any late mail in votes will be given five days to arrive and be counted.

Bernita Fountain, current alderman of Ward 1, chose not to run for reelection as alderman.

In the Ward 3 alderman race, Jim Moore led with 223 votes out of 424 votes cast. Contestant Rick Raimey Sr. received 191 votes. Ward 3 alderman Colter Teel did not throw his hat in the ring for a second term.

Ward 4 alderman Patricia Merriweather won reelection to a second term in the April 22 primary election as did alderman-at-large Dexter Shipp.

All results are unofficial until certified.

There are 5,589 registered voters in the City of Holly Springs.

In a post-election interview, Terry said he first thanks God, then his supporters for their encouragement, prayers and financial support of his campaign.

“I appreciate their confidence in me and I look forward to serving the city, and to the best of my ability, to improve the quality of life and culture of the city,” he said. “I will be a mayor of all the people, knowing we have some challenges ahead of us.”

The tie vote in Ward 1 Alderman race between Sandra Hodges and Kylon Freeman was broken Tuesday, June 10 at 5:30 p.m. At Holly Springs City Hall with a coin flip.