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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Jackson's Ward 1 race unfolded, with 25 votes separating 3 candidates: A play-by-play
If political races were decided by inches, Jackson's Ward 1 would be a photo finish. Just 25 votes separated three candidates in a wild, edge-of-your-seat election night. Incumbent Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote, a Republican running as an independent, is currently leading the race with 1,738 votes, or 33.43% of the vote. Independent candidate Grace Greene is only 10 votes behind Foote with 1,728 votes, or 33.24% of the vote. Democratic candidate Jasmine Barnes is third — only 15 votes behind Greene and 25 votes behind Foote — with 1,713 votes, or 32.95% of the vote. The results have left Ward 1 on edge, with the outcome still hanging in the balance. The race could come down to just a handful of affidavit and mail-in ballots, which election commissioners are still counting. Mail-in ballots have five days to arrive after Election Day — meaning votes could still be trickling in and shifting the results. It's not the first nail-biter in Central Mississippi. In Rankin County's 2023 District 1 runoff, Sid Scarbrough beat Michael Windham by a single vote — 1,244 to 1,243 — after two mail-in ballots broke the tie. One was tossed for being improperly submitted. Here's a play-by-play of Ward 1's wild election night after polls closed at 7 p.m.: 7:57 p.m.: The first batch of ballots drops. Just two of Ward 1's 10 precincts reported, but Foote grabbed an early lead with 421 votes. Greene and Barnes were hot on his heels with 350 and 323, keeping things tight from the jump. 8:10 p.m.: Four precincts reported. Barnes made a big move, leapfrogging into first with 1,004 votes. Foote slipped to second at 783. Greene falls back with 637 — but it was far from over. 8:35 p.m.: Plot twist. Greene rocketed from last to first, taking a 24-vote edge over Barnes and 35 over Foote. All 10 precincts were in, and it was Greene with 1,684, Barnes with 1,660 and Foote then in third with 1,649. Election commissioners announced absentee ballots — about 870 of them — were next up. 9:13 p.m.: Another shake-up. The absentee ballots flip the whole script. Foote bounced back to the top with 1,738 votes. Greene trailed by just 10 at 1,728. Barnes was still in striking distance with 1,713 — just 25 votes behind the leader. The Clarion Ledger spoke with all three candidates via phone on Wednesday and each said they were very-much surprised by how tight of a race it was. Randy Travis in Jackson? Randy Travis Foundation and the Metrocenter Mall? Purchase leaves more questions than answers "It's about the wildest thing I've ever been a part of; that was really high drama last night!" Foote said. "It was like playing in a high-stakes football game. It's not over until it's over." "I was surprised with how close it was. I mean it was almost a perfect three-way tie, which I don't think anyone was expecting it to be that close," Greene said with a chuckle. "This is democracy at work, and we just want to make sure we get it right, and sometimes it's really close but that's how it works." "I didn't really know what to expect truthfully, but I am super thankful for all of my supporters that came out," Barnes said. "Honestly, it was just great to see a good turnout of voters and hopefully we can continue that in the future." All three candidates congratulated one another and praised the past five months as a spirited, hard-fought campaigning. In an era of tense politics, their civility was a rare — and welcome — sight. When asked whether they might challenge the results once certified, all three said they hadn't thought that far ahead and plan to wait for the official count. "My hats off to the two opponents I had that ran a very hard, high-energy campaign," Foote said. "I think it's healthy for the voters as well that they have choices to make and candidates that are pursuing their votes. All of it is the way democracy is supposed to work." Greene credited her supporters and voters for getting her through her first political campaign, saying she was 'thankful for all the people who publicly supported me and came out to vote for me.' Barnes also thanked her supporters and said she's looking forward to the results being officially certified. "I just want to thank everyone for their support; it's been an incredible journey canvassing for the past 18 weeks, so now we'll just patiently wait, trust the process and hopefully I can secure a win," Barnes said. Jackson's current hiring freeze: Mayor Lumumba addresses council's hiring freeze, says recent hires were about serving residents In Mississippi, election results are typically certified within 10 days after Election Day by the Mississippi Secretary of State's office. Given that Election Day was June 3, the certification of the Ward 1 race is expected to occur by June 13. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson City Council Ward 1 election 2025: What are the results?
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Phoenix light rail extension to open soon. Here's when
The long-awaited light rail extension connecting south Phoenix to downtown and other parts of the Valley will open June 7, Mayor Kate Gallego announced. The 5.5-mile South Central Extension has been under construction since 2019. It extends along Central Avenue from Baseline Road in the south to the new downtown hub, which has four platforms on Washington and Jefferson streets and Central and First avenues where riders can transfer trains on different lines. Gallego said the extension "also brings with it new and improved public infrastructure — from great bike lanes and additional shade structures to beautiful artwork along the corridor." "The extension ... is expected to add more than 8,000 daily riders to the light rail system, which currently serves approximately 35,000 boardings per day," Valley Metro said in a statement. The new line includes: 18 public art installations 8 new stations 14 new trains 110-space park-and-ride facility at Baseline Road and Central Avenue Enhanced bike lanes and pedestrian pathways Over 550 new trees and desert-adapted landscaping for shade 30 miles of underground utility upgrades The extension was supposed to be finished in 2023, but unforeseen challenges from the pandemic — including supply chain issues and workforce shortages — caused delays, said Jessica Mefford-Miller, CEO of Valley Metro, the regional transit agency. Those delays were criticized by south Phoenix residents, including several business owners along Central Avenue who said their revenues nosedived as customers fled the area. A 15-year owner of a Western-wear shop along the extension announced in January he would be forced to close his doors. But for all its burdens, the light rail has also been celebrated by residents in the area. It connects a historically underinvested part of the city, where people of color were once segregated, to downtown, the former Metrocenter Mall and Mesa. Eventually, it will connect to the state Capitol area and into west Phoenix. At an event in January to celebrate construction progress of the South Central Extension, area resident Becky Ruiz said, "Our favorite saying in our family is, I love you through the good, the bad, and the ugly. So in this process, I love you through the good, the bad and the ugly." Taylor Seely covers Phoenix and Scottsdale for The Arizona Republic / Reach her at tseely@ or by phone at 480-476-6116. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: South Phoenix light rail expansion will open in June
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meet the Jackson Mayoral Candidates: Kourtney Christopher Paige
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Mississippi's Municipal Primary Election Day will be held on April 1, 2025. Kourtney Christopher Paige (D) is running to be the next mayor of Jackson. Here's his message to voters: Hi, I'm Democratic candidate Kourtney Christopher Paige, you candidate for mayor of Jackson, Mississippi. Some of my ideas about becoming the Mayor of Jackson is to put out blight that is going on in the capital city. I've noticed a lot of portions of Jackson that have debris that is all over the city and that could be alleviated. Some of my ideas on how that could be alleviated is putting up non-solar cameras that are in the area to monitor what is going on in the City of Jackson. This will also help to protect the neighborhoods and protect the City of Jackson. Another idea that I would have, I would like to also build a new stadium, indoor, outdoor stadium near the Metrocenter Mall just in case we want to have something for Jackson State football or any other team that comes to the city. And plus, I'd like to have an indoor, outdoor concert event for the City of Jackson. My points are short and simple and complete, and this is what you'll get if you elect me your next mayor of Jackson, Mississippi. Again, I'm Kourtney Christopher Paige. Thank you. Kourtney Christopher Paige, (D) Jackson Mayoral Candidate Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
