Patterson Wins Re-election to Second Term

In unofficial returns, Tannerhill appears headed for victory over Ernest “E.O.” Oliver, Jay Hughes leading Ney Williams by 26 votes

Mayor Pat Patterson has won re-election to a second term as mayor of Oxford.

In unofficial returns, Patterson was winning the race with 1670 votes to 1102 votes cast for his independent opponent Todd Wade. Some 550 absentee ballots remain to be counted.

The 568-vote margin in favor of Patterson appeared to be large enough to seal the victory for the incumbent mayor, regardless of the final tabulation of the vote.

In the Ward 2 race for the board of aldermen, newcomer Robyn Tannerhill appeared to be headed to a victory over incumbent Ernest “E.O.” Oliver. Tannerhill led with 562 votes in the unofficial count to 189 votes for Oliver.

The Ward 1 race was shaping up to be the closest contest of the night, with only 26 votes separating the two candidates, J.P. “Jay” Hughes and incumbent Ney Williams, in the unofficial count. Hughes led in the contest with 382 votes to 356 for Williams.

The Ward 1 race was the only contest in which the absentee vote could decide the outcome.

City election officials described the turnout for the general election as about average for a city election. Some 2,792 Oxonians turned out to vote at the Oxford Conference Center, with another approximately 550 absentee ballots being cast. –– Michael Harrelson, editor, HottyToddy.com

Email Michael Harrelson at michael.harrelson@hottytoddy.com.