By Jeremy Weldon

Activity at the Batesville Courthouse has tapered to near normal as the first round of party primaries wrapped up this week with Tuesday’s balloting in the 21 voting precincts of Panola County.

Tax Assessor/Collector David Garner lost his seat to O’dell Draper, Jr., in the Democratic Primary in the only race that produced what could be considered an upset. Some 5,321 votes were cast in that race. There are no Republican or Independent challengers for the seat in the November General Election.

All of the reported totals so far are unofficial until certified by the Elections Commission and  submitted to the Secretary of State. Machine cast and absentee ballots cast in Panola County totaled 7,860 Tuesday. With 22,546 registered voters, the turnout was 34.86 percent of eligible voters.

Of the total votes, 5,570 were Democratic and 2,290 were Republican. There will be slight changes in the final numbers as a few affidavit votes are compiled.

Some of Draper’s successful campaign can be attributed to the unusually large number of Republican participants in this year’s primaries. Many traditional Republican voters who usually vote in the Democratic Primary to cast ballots for county-wide candidates this year voted in the Republican Primary because of the close race for the party’s nomination for the Governor’s race in November.

Republican votes were higher than ever recorded at several precincts, especially in District 4, some in District 3, and in Batesville boxes.

In 2015,  Republican votes cast in District 3 totaled 62 and 65 in District 5. This year, those numbers ballooned to 346 in District 3 and 694 in District 4.

Precinct breakdowns are published in this edition on pages 4, 5 and 10. Further comparisons of this year’s primaries to ones in the past will become clearer after the primary run-offs slated for Tuesday, Aug. 27.

In the primary runoff, voters must stay with the same party they supported Tuesday.  Voters who did not cast ballots Tuesday can vote in either the Democratic or Republican runoff. The General Election is open and voters may choose any candidate they wish on the ballot, regardless of party.

Some candidates had no opposition in their party and advanced to the General Election. Some will have no opposition in November and will be the seat holder in the new term. In contested races,

Sheriff

Democratic candidate received 4,703 votes in the primary. Total Democratic voters were 5,570. He will face incumbent Sheriff Dennis Darby, running as an Independent candidate, in the General Election. Darby is seeking a third term.

District 1 Supervisor

Incumbent James Birge got 675 votes in the Democratic Primary. He will now face Independent challenger Harold Lewis, a sheriff’s deputy, in the General Election.

District 2  Supervisor

Incumbent Vernice Avant and Como Police Chief Earl Burdette advanced to the Democratic runoff.  Burdette almost received the needed 50 percent plus one vote to win the nomination outright. The  winner of the Aug. 27 runoff will face Independents Keith Mothershead and Tim Holiday in November.

District 3 Supervisor

Incumbent John Thomas beat John McCollum by 152 votes with 1,148 cast in the five precincts. Republican Ken Williams will challenge Thomas in the General Election.

District 4 Supervisor

Political newcomer Chad Weaver outpaced Mike Moore and Billy Dettor enough to win the nomination outright with about votes to spare. He garnered 473 votes of 908 cast. Republican Mike Woods got 694 votes running unopposed in his primary.  Weaver and Woods will face Independents James “Cowboy” Snyder and Darrell Manning in November.

District 5  Supervisor

Incumbent Cole Flint won another landslide, his third, in the Democratic Primary. He beat Ted Stewart  695-373 and has no November challenger.

State Rep. 10

In the District 10 race for the Mississippi House, Kelly Morris led the Republican ticket in Panola  County getting 706 of the 1,447 votes cast. He now advances to a runoff with Brady Williamson. The winner there will face the winner of an Aug.  27 runoff between Amanda  Campbell and Nolan Webb, and Independent Josh Hawkins.

State  Rep. 11

Incumbent Lataisha Jackson got 2,617 votes in Panola County in the Democratic Primary and had no opponents. There are also no Republican or Independent candidates.

State Sen. 11

Incumbent Robert Jackson beat challenger Kim Seals handily in the district in the Democratic  Primary, including 1,608 to 1,283 in Panola precincts.

State Sen. 9

Kevin Frye was unopposed for the seat in the Democratic Primary and received 934 votes. In the Republican Primary,  Nicole Boyd got 928 votes. They will face off in the General Election.

Constable District 2

Incumbent Rhea Hawkins got 3,10 votes in the Democratic Primary and will face Independent Maurice Market, a sheriff’s  deputy,  in the General Election.

Several current Panola County office holders had no opponents this year,  including Constable  District 1 Faye Pettis, County Attorney Gaine Baker, Justice Court Judge Post 1 Mike Wilson, Justice Court Judge Post  2 Charlie Baglan, Coroner Gracie Grant-Gulledge, Circuit Clerk Melissa Meek-Phelps, and Chancery Clerk Jim Pitcock.

Grant and Pitcock are Independents so their names were on neither ballot this week.