The final days are underway to qualify for the upcoming Statewide and Countywide election before the slate is set. Candidates have three more days left before qualifying ends on February 1 at 5 p.m. So far, County Supervisor District 5 Betty Bruce and Fifth Circuit District Attorney Doug Evans have not qualified to run for re-election.
Bruce was elected in a special election to serve out her late husband, Mark Bruce’s term after his untimely death. Evans is most known for his handling of the Curtis Flowers case in Montgomery County. Flowers was freed in 2020 after the Supreme Court overturned a sixth conviction in the 1996 Tardy Furniture murders at a furniture store in Winona. The Flowers case was re-opened after the podcast, In The Dark, looked at the Flowers case.
Also, the Constable, Post 2 becomes the second race to become a three-man race. Stacy Stricklin has qualified to run for the post. Incumbent Roy Dunn Carter will face Barry Joe Miller and Stricklin as it stands.
In other races:
Incumbent Supervisors Joey Stephenson, Greg Fondren, Chris McIntire and John Shumaker have all qualified to run in their respective beats. Rodney Bowman had qualified for District 5 Supervisor. Supervisor Betty Bruce, who was recently elected after the death of her husband, Mark Bruce, has not qualified to run.
District 4 has the first three-man race with Shumaker facing R.B. Ashford and Dennis Weeks.
In the sheriff’s race, incumbent Brandon Busby and Ackerman Police Chief Tim Cook have qualified to run.
Chancery Clerk, Circuit Clerk, Tax Assessor, and Coroner incumbents Steve Montgomery, Amy Burdine, Lori Kerr, and Christopher Coleman have all qualified to run.
In the Justice Court Judge, Post 1 race, incumbent Andy Stephenson and Lacee Black Jones have each qualified to run.
In the Justice Court Judge, Post 2 race, Ben Turnipseed and incumbent Teresa Weeks have qualified to run, and in the Constable race, Issac Newman, and Anthony A. Raybourn have both qualified for Constable, Post 1.
In the Statewide election, incumbent Governor Tate Reeves is facing 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 District 15 State Senator race, incumbent Bart Williams is slated to face Alan Sibley. District 35 Representative Joey Hood has qualified to run for another term in the House.
In the Fifth Circuit District Attorney race, Adam Hopper of Grenada and Rosalind Jordan of Kosciusko have both qualified to run. Both currently work for District Attorney Doug Evans. It’s unknown if Evans will run for re-election but has not qualified yet.
In the Northern District Public Service Commissioner’s race, Mandy Gunasekara has qualified to run.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, to qualify for the state-level positions – governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor, state treasurer, ag commissioner, and insurance commissioner, a potential candidate needs $300, and for those running independent, they must also have 1,000 signatures.
To qualify for the position of Public Service Commissioner and Transportation Commissioner, it’s a $200 fee, and for those who are running independent, they also have to gather 300 signatures and to qualify for the District Attorney seat, it’s a $100 fee and also 100 signatures for independent candidates.
For county seats, it’s $100, and if they’re running independently, it’s 50 signatures for each position.
To run for election commissioner, they must have 50 signatures, and there is no fee.
The primary election will be held on August 8, and the general election will be held on November 7.
To find out who’s qualified and all news leading up to the election and after, pick up your Choctaw Plaindealer or visit us at www.redhillsnewsms.com
Qualifying will continue until Feb. 1.
