The Sunflower County Consolidated School District recently named Doddsville Mayor Torey Bell Sr., to fill the District 4 seat left vacant by the passing of former member Daisy Morgan in October.
According to President Edward Thomas, Bell and two others, Evelyn Woods and Tommy Boykins were under consideration.
Bell is slated to fill the position until December 31 of this year since a special election, scheduled for November 6, must be held to determine who will complete the remaining one-year period left on Morgan’s current term, which ends December 31, 2019.
The district uses staggered stretches and the District 3 and 4 seats each carry six-year terms. Morgan was named to the District 4 position in November 2013 after legal opinions from the Secretary of State’s office cleared up a misconception concerning a suspected run-off between her and Bell.
Sunflower County Circuit Clerk Carolyn Hamilton said anyone wanting to qualify for the District 4 seat has until September 7, 2018 to file the necessary paperwork, including acquisition of the 50 signatures required in order to be placed on the ballot. Hamilton said qualification packets are available in her office or potential candidates can go online to the Secretary of State’s website.
Whoever wins the 2018 special election for the District 4 spot will have to go through the same process again in 2019 when the six-year term for that seat is up for re-election. Because of the way things timed out, they have longer to qualify than normal this year, but in 2019 they will only have from August to September to qualify. Qualification ends 60 days before election. Also on the Sunflower County November 2018 ballot are several judicial races including circuit and chancery court spots plus a U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and Court of Appeals positions.
Candidates for non‐partisan judicial offices such as the District 4 circuit judge positions now being held by judges Richard A. Smith, Margaret Carey-McCray and Carol White-Richard, the District 9 chancery judge positions currently held by judges Marie Wilson and Jane Weathersby and the District 2 court of appeals position held by Judge Tyree Irvin have until 5:00 p.m., May 11 to qualify.
In addition, the Sunflower County ballot will have the District 2 U.S. Representative spot, currently held by Democrat Bennie Thompson and the U.S. Senate spot held by Republican Roger Wicker.
For a complete list of the 2018 qualifying candidates go to the secretary of State’s website at www.sos.ms.gov, click on the Election & Voting tab on the left side of the screen and select Election Home.
