Transportation commissioner runoff

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Tagert

Tagert wins runoff to finish commissioner’s term

 By Billy Davis

Mike Tagert of Starkville won Tuesday’s runoff for Northern District transportation commissioner.

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Tagert will finish about a year that remains from late Commissioner Bill Minor’s four-year term. Minor was serving his second term when he passed away Nov. 2.

The Northern District commissioner sits on the three-person commission that oversees the Miss. Department of Transportation.

Tagert defeated John Caldwell with 53 percent of the vote in the 33-county district, according to press reports. 

Caldwell, of DeSoto County, easily carried his populous home county but faced stiff competition elsewhere.

Both Tagert and Caldwell campaigned as Republican candidates during the special election.

Panola County voters chose Caldwell over Tagert three to one, 969 to 363, according to unofficial totals.