A flurry of filings in the last week before the qualifying deadline has made for an active ballot for the August 6 primary elections. Based on information from the Sunflower County Circuit Clerk’s office, only five incumbents are running unopposed.
Those are: Circuit Clerk Carolyn P. Hamilton, Tax Assessor/Collector Cynthia Woods Chandler, Chancery Clerk Gloria Sample McIntosh, County Coroner Heather Burton and Southern District Justice Court Judge Gwendolyn W. Pernell.
In addition to those mentioned above who are unopposed, as of the March 1 qualification deadline, the following local candidates have successfully filed the necessary paperwork needed to appear on the August democratic primary ballot:
For Sheriff: Tommy C. Boykin, Ruleville; James Haywood, Sunflower (Incumbent) and Rogers Simpson, Indianola.
For County Attorney: Gwendolyn D. Jimison, Inverness and Alsee McDaniel, Indianola.
For Supervisor, District 1: Glenn Donald, Indianola (Incumbent) and James Sample, Inverness.
For Supervisor, District 2: Levi Ford, Jr., Indianola; Dana Myrick, Indianola and Riley Rice (Incumbent).
For Supervisor, District 3: Ben Gaston, Indianola; Keith Spealman, Indianola and Joseph Wilson Sr., Indianola.
For Supervisor, District 4: James L. Burton, Sunflower; Anthony Clark, Sunflower (Incumbent) and Ladell Jackson, Indianola.
For Supervisor District 5: Gloria Dickerson, Drew (Incumbent); Jack Griffin, Ruleville.
For Justice Court Judge, Northern District: Joshua B. Austin, Indianola; Lisa Bell, Doddsville; Don Brown, Drew; Cynthia Sprouse, Cleveland; Annette Washington Fields, Moorhead and Lester Williams, Ruleville.
For Constable, Northern District: Michael B. Myers, Ruleville (Incumbent); Edward D. Lucas, Drew and Thomas Townsend, Ruleville.
For Constable, Southern District: Karen Farrow, Indianola and James Lee, Indianola (Incumbent).
The SCDEC reported that candidates J. Pierce Beach of Sunflower, and Rickey Boyles of Indianola, withdrew their names as candidates for County Attorney and District 3 Supervisor respectively, citing personal reasons.
The next step for those local candidates filing as democrats, which is typically procedural, is for the Sunflower County Democratic Executive Committee to qualify the list. The SCDEC will convene on Saturday at 10 a.m., at the Sunflower County Courthouse to approve the list of county candidates, as recommended by its elections subcommittee.
David Rushing, SCDEC chairman said the subcommittee meets with each candidate individually just to hear from him or her that they meet the three requirements listed on the application form. The subcommittee is scheduled to meet at the courthouse for 1 p.m., tomorrow to conduct the remaining candidate interviews.
In addition to the above-mentioned county offices, the Mississippi Democratic Party approved candidates for the District Attorney’s, Senate and the House seats on March 4.
Incumbent Dewayne Richardson, Greenville is running unopposed for the District 4 District Attorney’s position.
For House of Representatives District 30 it will be Robert L. Huddleston of Sumner vying for the seat now held by incumbent Tracey Rosebud of Tutwiler.
The District 13 Senate seat vacated by Sen. Willie Simmons, who is seeking the Central Mississippi Transportation Commissioner’s seat, will have five hopefuls: Tony G. Anderson, Cleveland; Carl Brinkley, Cleveland; Mark S. Buckner Sr., Indianola; Charles Modley, Indianola and Sarita M. Simmons, Cleveland.
The House District 31 seat is also up for full-term election and incumbent Otis L. Anthony, Indianola will take on Jeanette Knighten-Washington, Moorhead.
The winners in each race will face the republican primary winners and independent candidates in their respective categories in November.
In Sunflower County Republican Jerry Pate of Indianola and Independent Hollis Jovon Myrick of Indianola are also seeking the sheriff’s position and Independent Barry W. Bryant of Rome is challenging incumbent District 5 Supervisor Gloria Dickerson.
Other regional elections that affect Sunflower County will see democratic Sen. Willie Simmons contending against fellow Democrat Marcus L. Wallace and the winner of the Republican primary that features Butch Lee and Ricky Pennington, Jr., for Transportation Commissioner of the Central District.
