Former Sardis Alderman Lula Palmer won Tuesday’s Democratic Primary runoff

for Mayor which will make her both the first woman and first

African-American to hold that post as she faces no other contenders in the

June 6 Municipal General Election.

     Former Sardis Alderman Lula Palmer defeated incumbent Mayor Billy Russell by

27 votes in Tuesday’s Democratic Primary runoff. It was the only runoff

election in Panola County’s municipalities.

    The former Alderman received 285 or 52 percent of the votes compared to

Russell’s 258 votes.

   Eleven more citizens voted in the May 2 primary than in the May16 runoff

with unofficial totals being 554 and 543 respectively.

   The incumbent mayor defeated Palmer in another tight runoff four years ago

when then incumbent Mayor Rusty Dye was eliminated in the first.

     Palmer is the first woman in recent memory to hold the Sardis mayor’s

position and also the first African-American. Michael Price’s victory over

incumbent Mayor-at-large Roy Scallorn gives Sardis the first

African-American majority on the board of aldermen.

      Bonnie Smith and Clarence “Boo-Boo” Jones, both incumbent African-American

aldermen, both won reelection in the first primary. Aldermen Tommy Rayburn

and Jojo Still were both unopposed and are the two non-black members of the

five-member board-elect.