Half a dozen men are applying for the job of Webster County sheriff, which drew the largest number of candidates in this year’s local elections.
The 2019 qualifying period for county and state offices officially closed Friday. Party primaries are Aug. 6 with runoffs Aug. 27 and the general election Nov. 5.
Three people are running as Democratic candidates for sheriff: William “Bill” Bland, David Gore and Casey Henderson.
Republican candidates are Jeffrey Mann and Tim “Baby” Tindall. Mann originally qualified as a Democrat but later changed his party affiliation to Republican.
Independent Calvin “Brad” Robinson will not be on the ballot until the general election, along with the two party primary winners.
Incumbent Tim Mitchell, who is under indictment on multiple felony charges, was scheduled to resign Jan. 2 but withdrew his resignation before then. He is out of jail on bond under house arrest after pleading not guilty at his Jan. 16 arraignment. Andy McCants is serving as acting sheriff.
Other Races
Other county offices with multiple candidates are:
• Tax Assessor/ Collector: Bonnie Martin Fulgham (D) and incumbent Barbara E. Gore (D).
• Supervisor-District 1: Democratic candidates are David Graham, incumbent Eudy Morris and Daryl Redd. Republican candidates are Barbara Mauller and Kevin “Rudy” Ray.
• Supervisor-District 2: Matt Brasher (R) and incumbent Pat Cummings (D).
• Supervisor-District 3: Fred Wayne Farley, Michael D. Lusk and incumbent Randy “Poochie” Rico are running as Democrats. The Democratic primary winner will face Republican Jason Burner in the general election.
• Supervisor-District 5: incumbent Doug Burgess (D) and Steven Burton (D).
• Justice Court Judge-District 1: incumbent Jerry Jones (D), Joshua “Josh” Oats (D) and Brad Tomlinson (D).
• Justice Court Judge-District 2: incumbent Rebecca Edwards Ellison (D) and Cherraye Oats (D).
• County Attorney: Hays Burchfield (D) and Henry Ross (R), who was appointed last fall to fill the unexpired term of Jan Butler upon his resignation from the position..
• Coroner: Scott Dean (D) and Dianne Wright (R). Republican incumbent Steve Wells is not seeking re-election; Dean serves as deputy coroner.
6 Unopposed
Incumbents without opponents are Chancery Clerk Russ Turner, Circuit Clerk Sherry B. Henderson, District 4 Supervisor Paul Crowley, and constables Jeff McMinn (District 1) and Jeremy Kilgore (District 2). All are holding office as Democrats.
Also unopposed is Thomas E. Allen Jr., who qualified as a Republican for county surveyor. He is a partner at Cook-Allen Engineers & Surveyors in Eupora.
Circuit Clerk Henderson said she believes this is a first for Webster in being on the ballot, although the position of surveyor is on the state’s list of countywide offices.
Duties of the county surveyor are to execute all orders of survey directed to him by any court, all surveys of land within his county at the request of the owners or proprietors, and to survey, resurvey, measure and divide land as requested by the county board of supervisors, according to the Mississippi Blue Book.
District Offices
All but one of the state representatives and senators whose districts include all or part of Webster County are unopposed for re-election. All of the incumbents are Republicans.
Unopposed in the House of Representatives are District 23’s Jim Beckett of Bruce and District 46’s Karl Oliver of Winona.
However, Rep. Joey Hood of Choctaw County is being challenged in the Republican primary by William “Billy” Tabb of Eupora in District 35. No one is running in the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Gary Jackson of French Camp is unopposed for a fifth term as District 15 senator.
Also at the state district level, District Attorney Doug Evans (D) is unopposed for another term in the Fifth Circuit Court District. Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley (D) of Nettleton is also unopposed.
Republican incumbent Mike Tagert of Starkville is not seeking re-election for Northern District transportation commissioner. Candidates vying to fill the post are Democrat Joey Grist; and Republicans Trey Bowman, John Caldwell, E.A. Hathcock, Jeremy A. Martin and Geoffrey O. Yoste.
Statewide Offices
These are the major-party and independent candidates running for statewide offices in Mississippi, according to the state Democratic and Republican parties and the secretary of state’s office:
Governor
Democrat: Jim Hood (currently attorney general), Robert Shuler Smith, William Bond Compton Jr., Michael Brown, Robert J. Ray, Velesha Williams, Gregory Wash, Phillip West, Albert Wilson.
Republican: Robert Foster, Tate Reeves (currently lieutenant governor), Bill Waller Jr.
Independent: David R. Singletary (general election).
Lieutenant Governor
Democrat: Jay Hughes.
Republican: Delbert Hosemann (currently secretary of state), Shane Quick.
Attorney General
Democrat: Jennifer Riley Collins.
Republican: Mark Baker, Lynn Fitch (currently treasurer), Andy Taggart.
Secretary of State
Democrat: Johnny Dupree, Maryra Hodges Hunt.
Republican: Sam Britton, Michael Watson.
Treasurer
Democrat: Addie Greene.
Republican: Eugene S. “Buck” Clarke, David McRae.
Auditor
Democrat: No candidate.
Republican: Shad White (incumbent).
Insurance Commissioner
Democrat: Robert E. Amos.
Republican: Mike Chaney (incumbent).
Agriculture Commissioner
Democrat: Rickey Cole.
Republican: Andy Gipson (incumbent).
