By Billy Davis

Official election returns show Panola Countians cast a record-breaking 9,079 votes for President Barack Obama in the General Election.

Panola Countians also leaned Democrat in races for U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate. Panola voters went for Rep. Bennie Thompson in the 2nd District congressional race and chose challenger Albert Gore Jr. over Sen. Roger Wicker in the statewide senate race.

Thompson was wooing the entire county for the first time after redistricting placed Panola in the 2nd District. The congressman won Panola 56-41 percent over Republican Bill Marcy and won 67-31 percent district-wide.

Wicker won his senate seat 57-40 percent over Gore state-wide.

A total of 16,982 votes were cast Tuesday, breaking the record set in 2008 by approximately 450 votes.

Obama won 389 more votes than in 2008 while Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, garnered nine votes fewer than Sen. John McCain four years ago.

The official final percentage showed Obama beating Romney 53-45 percent among Panola Countians.

The most favored White House occupant in recent memory was Bill Clinton, who won 56 percent of Panola County’s vote in his 1996 campaign.

The ballot also included an Appeals Court race. Ceola James unseated Ermea Russell for the District 2, Position 2 post.

James won 63-37 percent among voters in the district but lost in Panola to Russell 52-47 percent.