Unofficial results from the Democratic and Republican primaries held Tuesday, Aug. 8, show one upset in Panola County. Local voters followed statewide trends in most other races.

Some 7,933 ballots were cast on Tuesday – 4,284 in the Democratic primary and 3,649 in the Republican. Those numbers represent all ballots cast in-person at a precinct, and also the absentee votes turned in at the Circuit Clerk’s office or received by mail.

District 1 supervisor James Birge appeared to have lost his seat to Fred Butts, who garnered 499 of the 996 votes cast at that district’s four precincts. Birge, who is currently in his fifth term as supervisor, received 309 votes.

Former supervisor Jessie Lyons got 183 votes in that race. Butts avoided a runoff by a swing of four votes, and will be the Democratic nominee for that district. There is no Republican candidate to face in the November general election, but Independent Kaleb Foshee will be on the ballot.

In District 2, supervisor Earl Burdette easily cruised to a second term, beating two challengers in all five precinct boxes. Before absentees and provisional votes were counted, Burdette led his race with 623 votes compared to 177 for Tim Holliday and 151 for Roger Salter. Burdette will retain his seat without a challenge in November.

There were no Democratic candidates in the District 3 or 4 races. Republican John Thomas, the incumbent in that race, won that primary handily with 844 votes to John McCollum’s 327 and Ken Williams’ 32. Thomas will have an independent challenger, Lindsey Sanford, in the November general election.

In District 4, Mike Woods received 853 votes to win that primary. He will face incumbent Chad Weaver and Charles Roach, both Independent candidates, in the general election.

In District 5, incumbent Cole Flint is running for re-election as an Independent, and will take on Ted Stewart, who advanced unopposed through the Democratic primary Tuesday with 591 votes.

The primary results will be certified in the next week and the official numbers will be reported in the Wednesday, Aug. 16, print edition of  The Panolian.