The Webster Progress-Times

WALTHALL - Official election returns from last week's party primaries did not affect the outcome of any Webster County races.

Sixty-three percent of the county's 7,200 registered voters cast ballots in the Democratic and Republican primaries on Aug. 5. Circuit Clerk Deborah Hood Neal said the biggest complaint from some voters was confusion about changes in supervisor and representative district lines and voting precincts as a result of redistricting, and whether or not to vote the Democratic or Republican ballot.

She also confirmed that District 1 Supervisor James "Pop" Woodard had requested an "examination of the ballot box" following his narrow loss to opponent Robert Hitt in the Democratic primary.

Neal said the ballots from the Eupora No. 1 and Bluff Springs precincts in District 1 were scanned again this Tuesday through the vote-tabulating machine at his request. The results, she said, were the same as the certified recapitulation by the county Democratic Executive Committee: 387 votes for Hitt and 373 for Woodard. Hitt carried the Bluff Springs box by 27 votes and Woodard carried the Eupora No. 1 box by 13 votes.

District 2 Supervisor Stanley Pepper also lost his bid for re-election to Mart Salley in the Democratic primary. Salley garnered 494 votes to Pepper's 401. Two of the county's other three supervisors were elected outright with Democratic primary wins: Lynn Lamb of District 3 and Larry Crowley of District 4. Incumbent Casey Weeks of District 5 also won his primary race but faces Republican Jason Nowell in the Nov. 4 general election.

The only local races scheduled for the second primary election on Aug. 26 will be on the Democratic ballot. These were the total votes received in the first primary by the candidates who made the runoff:

Chancery clerk: Russ Turner- 1,207, and Sharon Tindall- 1,103.

Superintendent of education: Jimmy Pittman- 1,320, and Wanda Porter- 1,304.

Tax assessor-collector: Nicole Orr- 1,203, and Barbara Gore- 932.

District 2 Justice Court Judge: Rebecca Ellison- 927, and Martha L. Ballard- 729. Only voters in Eupora No. 1, Bluff Springs, Walthall, Bellefontaine, Cadaretta, Eupora No. 3, Grady, Tomnolen and Fay election precincts will cast ballots in this runoff.

County incumbents seeking re-election who won outright in the first Democratic primary because of no general election opposition were Circuit Clerk Neal, District 1 Justice Court Judge Jerry Jones, and constables Jeff McMinn and David Murphy

Sheriff Reuben McCluskey won the Democratic primary with 2,034 votes to opponent Bill Bland's 2,208. That race had 18 write-in votes. McCluskey faces a Republican and two Independents in the general election. Races which have only one candidate from each party were not on the primary ballots but will be included on the general election ballots.

One statewide race will be on the second Democratic primary - that for state treasurer. The candidates are Gary Anderson and Rob Smith, who took Webster County.

The Republican runoff ballot will only have two races, both for state offices: treasurer candidates Wayne Burkes and Tate Reeves, and agriculture commissioner candidates Roger Crowder and Max Phillips. Burkes and Crowder took Webster County.

Voters who cast ballots in the first primary may not "cross over" and vote in the second primary of another party on Aug. 26. For example, a voter who cast a ballot in the first Republican primary may not vote in the Democratic runoff election. People who did not vote at all in a first primary may vote in any party's second primary.

No runoffs will be necessary in state district races that affect Webster County, and will not be on the ballot again until the general election. In the District 15 Senate race, Democratic primary winner Cecil Simmons of Mathiston will face Republican winner Gary Jackson of French Camp, both of whom took Webster County. District 15 includes all or parts of Webster, Choctaw, Oktibbeha, Winston, Attala, Calhoun and Montgomery counties.

Voters in House District 23 will choose between Democratic winner Steve Whitten and Republican winner Jim Beckett, both of Bruce and who each led Webster County, for representative. District 23 includes all or parts of Webster, Calhoun, Clay and Oktibbeha counties.

House District 35 voters will choose between Democratic winner Pete Powell of Walthall and Republican winner Dannie Reed of Ackerman for representative. Each led Webster County. District 35 includes parts of Webster, Choctaw, Grenada and Oktibbeha counties.