Headlines
Campaign Sign of Judicial Candidate Carnelia Fondren Vandalized
Video by Alyssa Schnugg
By Alyssa Schnugg
Staff writer
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com
Chancery Court judge candidate Carnelia Fondren was not happy to receive a phone call from her campaign manager Friday afternoon informing her someone vandalized her sign on West Jackson Avenue next to Lenny’s Subs.
Fondren is one of three candidates vying for the Place One seat in the 18th Chancery Court District, currently held by Judge Glenn Alderson who announced last year he would not be seeking re-election.
The large sign had a thick, black ‘X’ spray-painted across the front of it.
Lamont Lesure, who helps Fondren with her campaign, replaced the sign with a new one.
“This is outrageous,” he said. “This is just not the way to run a campaign. This is no way to behave in an election. When you start vandalizing and committing crimes in a judicial race, it should give people pause as to why her signs are being targeted.”
Lesure said it was the first sign that’s been vandalized in such a way since Fondren announced her candidacy.
“We’ve had some signs stolen in Marshall County,” he said.
A report was filed with the Oxford Police Department.
Fondren said the vandalism upset her because it takes the campaign down a path she has no interest in traveling down.
“I’m just so sorry this happen because I don’t want this race to be about this,” she said.
The other two candidates running against Fondren are Lawrence “Larry” Little and Sarah J. Liddy.
The 18th Chancery Court is located in the Lafayette County Chancery Building and hears cases from Benton, Calhoun, Marshall, Tippah and Lafayette counties.