Few Qualify for Elections in Third Week of Qualification Period

By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Editor’s Note: Hottytoddy.com will run an update each Monday (unless a holiday) until March 1 on who qualifies for local elections and on local citizens who qualify for state elections.

Three weeks into the election qualification period, the District 2 Supervisor seat, currently held by Jeff Busby, now has six people vying for the position.

Busby announced in December he would not be seeking re-election as a supervisor, but instead will be running for Circuit Court Clerk. As of Monday, no one else has qualified to run for Circuit Court Clerk.

Since Jan. 2, five people have qualified to run for District 2 supervisors: Larry Gillespie (R), J.E. Ed Neilson, (D) and Ava Halon Bonds Gossett, (D) Max Hill, (D), and Leslie Spense, had qualified in the first two weeks. Last week, Darryl L. Booker qualified as well to run as a Democrat.

District 1 Supervisor Kevin Frye, a Democrat, also announced he would not be running to retain his supervisor seat and qualified to run for Mississippi Senate District 9. Republican Nicole Boyd announced her intent to run for District 9 senator last week. Incumbent Sen. Gray Tollison announced last week he would not be seeking re-election.

However, only one person, Brent Larson, has qualified to run for Frye’s District 1 seat as of Monday.

In District 3, incumbent David Rikard (R), Cynthia Parham (D), Dale Timothy Gordon (D), Alonzo Hilliard, (D), and Davii Jo Chinault, (R) joined the race in the first two weeks. Last week, Independent candidate Lakeisha Borum qualified to run.

District 4 Supervisor Chad McLarty, (D), gained one opponent so far when Scott Allen, (D) qualified last week. District 5 Supervisor Mike Roberts (D) picked up one opponent as well last week. Johnny Mike Fortner (R) qualified to run for District 5 supervisor.

The sheriff race remains at three candidates – Oxford Police Chief Joey East, Raymond Westley Sides and Jeffrey Clinton South. East and Sides qualified as Democrats while South qualified as an Independent.

Running unopposed so far in other races are incumbents Chancery Clerk Sherry Wall, Tax Collector/Assessor Sylvia Baker, County Attorney Jay Chain, Coroner Rocky Kennedy; Justice Court Judges, Johnny Wayne McLarty, Southern District and Mickey Avent, Central District; and Constables, Greg “Spankey” Pettis, Northern District, Jackie Theobald, Southern and Jody Mayfield, Central.

Attorney Andy Arant Jr. qualified last week to run as a Republican for Justice Court Judge Northern District against Democrat incumbent Carolyn Bell.

In the House of Representatives, Republican incumbents Steve Massengill, District 13, and Charles Beckett, District 23, have qualified to seek re-election with no opponents as of Monday. District 10 Rep. Nolan Mettetal announced he is retiring. Republican Brady Williamson has qualified to run for the District 10 seat.

Oxford’s District 12 Rep. Jay Hughes is running for lieutenant governor. Oxford attorney Tiffany Kilpatrick has qualified to run as a Democrat for the District 12 seat.

The qualifying deadline in Mississippi is March 1. Party primaries are in August, and the general election is in November.