Qualifying for Statewide and Countywide elections is in the last stretch as candidates have three more days to qualify for elections.
In the statewide race, District 35 Representative Joey Hood (R-Ackerman), Carl Mickens (D-Macon), Rod Hickman (D- Macon), and Senator Jennifer Branning (R-Philadelphia) have all qualified to run in the upcoming election.
But one prominent name missing on the Fifth Circuit District Attorney ballot is incumbent Doug Evans.
Right now, Evans has not qualified for re-election. He recently ran for Circuit Court Judge but was defeated in a run-off race by Judge Devo Lancaster of Grenada. Evans is most known for handling the Curtis Flowers case in Montgomery County.
Flowers was accused and convicted six times of killing four people in a furniture store in Winona in 1996.
But, Flowers was able to get a seventh trial after the Supreme Court overturned his conviction because of how the jury was chosen in each of the cases. However, a seventh trial was not held since many of the witnesses in the case had either recanted or died. Flowers was relocated from Parchman to the Winston-Choctaw Regional Correctional Facility before he was released in 2020.
So far, Adam Hopper of Grenada and Rosalind Jordan of Kosciusko have both qualified for the election. Hopper and Jordan currently work in Evans's office as Deputy District Attorneys.
Also, incumbent Governor Tate Reeves faces Northern District Public Safety Commissioner Brandon Presley and Gregory Walsh. Lt. Governor incumbent Delbert Hosemann will face Shane Quick.
Attorney General Lynn Fitch and State Treasurer David McRae both have qualified to run. In the Ag Commissioner race, incumbent Andy Gipson is slated to face Robert Bradford.
Auditor Shad White and Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney have both qualified to run in the upcoming election.
In the Northern District Public Service Commissioner’s race, Mandy Gunasekara has qualified to run.
Qualifying will end on February 1 at 5 p.m. Pick up a copy of the Winston County Journal as we keep you up-to-date on this year’s election. The primary will be held on August 8, a runoff election will be held on August 29, and the General Election will be held on November 7. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
