After months of intense campaigning and two trips to the polls, Indianola voters remain locked in a close contest to decide their next mayor and Ward 5 alderman, following Tuesday’s runoff election.
The initial Democratic primary on Oct. 14 saw former mayor Steve Rosenthal lead the mayoral field with 1,039 votes, narrowly edging incumbent Mayor Ken Featherstone, who received 972, while Hollis J. Myrick trailed with 109. Without a majority winner, the race advanced to a runoff between Rosenthal and Featherstone. In the Ward 5 alderman contest, Rodrigues Young led with 184 votes, Sam Brock Jr. followed with 137, and Nakala Murry received 57. With nobody clearing the 50% mark, Young and Brock Jr. moved on to the runoff.
Last Tuesday’s runoff saw a strong turnout as voters returned to select their city’s leadership. According to unofficial cumulative results, Featherstone currently leads with 1,158 votes, while Rosenthal stands at 1,067 in the mayoral race. In Ward 5, Young holds 220 votes to Brock Jr.’s 125. The absentee ballot count included in these totals is 79 — a low figure for Indianola runoffs — distributed as follows: Ward 2 (16), Ward 3 (37), Ward 4 (15), and Ward 5 (13).
Still, the outcome is far from final. Another 118 absentee ballots remain in transit and have not yet been counted, pending review for compliance with election rules. Affidavit ballots are also outstanding and will not be processed until this week.
The Sunflower County Democratic Election Committee and Circuit Clerk’s Office have scheduled the final count for Thursday, Nov. 13, at 10 a.m., when all remaining eligible absentee and affidavit ballots will be reviewed and added. Until then, the unofficial vote totals include the counted absentee ballots but do not reflect the impact of the ballots still outstanding. The race remains too close to call, and Indianola residents must wait for the official results to determine whether the returning faces or new challengers will shape the city’s future leadership.
