Fields set for mayor, aldermen races
Following the deadline for candidates to qualify for the municipal elections slated for this summer, four of the county’s five incumbent mayors are running unopposed for reelection.
Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler, Ridgeland Mayor Gene F. McGee, Gluckstadt Mayor Walter C. Morrison IV, and Flora Mayor Les Childress have all qualified for reelection and do not face opponents in their party primaries or the general election.
Canton’s incumbent mayor, Dr. William Truly, will not seek reelection.
Party primaries are set for April 1. The deadline to register to vote for the primaries is March 3.
The general election is scheduled for June 3.
The deadline to register to vote in that election is May 5. The new terms will begin July 1.
RIDGELAND
In Ridgeland, only Ward 2 and Ward 3 have contested races.
Incumbent Alderman in Ward 2 Chuck Gautier faces challenger Pat Truesdale in the Republican Primary. The winner of the primary will face Democrat candidate Walter Young Jr. in the general election.
Incumbent Ward 3 Alderman Kevin Holder has no opponent for the Republican primary but will face Democrat challenger Howard Brown in the general election.
In addition to Mayor McGee facing no challengers, Alderman-at-Large D.I. Smith, Ward 1 Alderman Ken Heard, Ward 4 Alderman Brian Ramsey, Ward 5 Alderman Bill Lee and Ward 6 Alderman Wesley Hamlin all are running unopposed as Republicans.
GLUCKSTADT
There are seven candidates for the five available alderman-at-large seats in the Lucky City.
Three of the candidates include incumbent aldermen Jayce Powell, Miya Warfield Bates and John Taylor.
Taylor and Powell are among the six Republican candidates for the position. Bates is the only Democrat candidate in the race.
The other candidates are Jessie Campbell, Paul Harty, Chip Williams and Samuel Stonestreet.
Republican candidate for Alderman-at-Large Nathaniel David Roesener reportedly withdrew his name earlier this week.
Incumbent aldermen Wesley Slay and Lisa Williams are not running.
This will be the first municipal election for the roughly four-year-old city.
MADISON
In Madison, Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler and all seven aldermen have qualified to run for another term as Republicans.
No challengers filed in Madison, as has been previously reported. The current Madison board consists of Alderman-at-Large Sandra Strain, Ward 1 Alderman Tawanna Tatum, Ward 2 Alderman Pat Peeler, Ward 3 Alderman Janie Jarvis, Ward 4 Alderman Paul Tankersley, Ward 5 Alderman Mike Hudgins and Ward 6 Alderman Guy Bowering.
CANTON
In Canton, a total of 25 candidates are competing for eight positions.
For Mayor, sitting Ward 5 Alderman Tim Taylor has thrown his hat in the ring as a Democratic candidate. He will face challengers Daphne Johnson Sims and Cornelia Walker in the party primary.
Also on the ballot for mayor are Chip Matthews, who is on the Republican ticket, and Walter Peeples and Daniel Spivey, who are running as Independents.
All but the Ward 3 race will be decided in the party primaries. Incumbent Democrat Les A. Penn faces Independent challenger My’Angel Brim for the Ward 3 seat.
The remaining seats will be decided in the Democrat primaries, with incumbent Rodriguez Brown facing challenger Antonio Brooks in Ward 1.
Sitting Alderman Fred Esco faces challenger Dr. Shannon Whitehead in Ward 2.
Ward 4 will have a four-way Democratic primary race between Incumbent Markee Blount and challengers Cynthia Allen, Victor Hughes and Crystal Luckett.
Barbara Brown, Janice Diamond, Fredrick Mayfield, Laura Elaine Blair and Chrishanda Jackson will all vie for the Ward 5 seat vacated by Tim Taylor.
In Ward 6 Monica Gilkey will face challenger Dexter Brim and incumbent Lafayette Wales face challenger Ronald Carter for the Ward 7 seat.
FLORA
In addition to Mayor Childress, incumbent aldermen Kenny Jenkins of Ward 2 and A.J. Lunsford, Alderman-at-Large, are running unopposed. Newcomer Jimmie Lee Jones runs unopposed for the Ward 3 seat currently held by Mary Sumler.
In Ward 1, Jeff Rankin and Candy Mills will vie for the seat and Sheila Blakely and Sinclair Coleman will compete for the Ward 4 seat.
Those seats are currently held by Michael Westbrook in Ward 1 and Ward 4 by Ray Allard.
All candidates in Flora run as independents.
$50 MILLION PARK EXPANSION
Ridgeland plans to include a proposed 2-percent tax increase on hotels and a 1-percent tax increase on restaurants on the ballot to fund an estimated $50 million Freedom Ridge Park expansion.
The Legislature must pass legislation allowing the vote before the election this summer.
Senate Bill 3221 authorizing the city to proceed the first time was signed by Gov. Tate Reeves on May 10, 2024.
This will be the city’s second attempt at the proposed tax. The item was on the ballot in the November general election but it failed to garner the necessary 60 percent of the vote to pass.
Ridgeland aldermen voted unanimously in early December to submit the same proposition to the Legislature for approval to proceed with another vote.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES
Canton and Ridgeland will have candidates for party executive committees on the ballot as well. In Canton, Theresa Kelly-Reed is running for the Democratic Executive Committee. In Ridgeland, Lisa D. Walters, Mary Tison Brown and Angela Chance are all on the ballot for the Republican Executive Committee.