31-01-2025
Sarita Grayson Witherspoon joins crowded Ward 4 race
TUPELO — With the last day to qualify for municipal elections on Friday, another candidate has stepped into the crowded race to unseat Tupelo's longtime Ward 4 Councilwoman Nettie Davis.
Democrat Sarita Grayson Witherspoon, 67, is the fourth person to qualify for Ward 4, one of three newcomers hoping to unseat Davis, who is running for her seventh term.
Alexandra Mercedes Copeland, 31, and Brenda DePriest, 72, who are both democrats, previously qualified for Ward 4. No Republicans have qualified.
Meanwhile, in Ward 2, Lucas Berryhill, 64 qualified as a Republican alongside incumbent Republican Councilman Lynn Bryan. Democrat Shirley Hendrix, 57, who owns R&B Specialty Printing, qualified for Ward 3, attempting to take the seat from incumbent Republican Councilman Travis Beard, who is finishing up his third term.
Ward 7 Councilwoman Rosie Jones, a Democrat, faces former incumbent Willie Jennings in the April 1 primary.
In Ward 5, three Republicans hope to claim the seat left vacant by Palmer: Steven J. Coon, Mike Horton and Bentley Nolan. No Democrats have qualified to run for the seat.
Qualifying for municipal office ends Friday afternoon, and, as of Thursday, Mayor Todd Jordan, Ward 1 Councilman Chad Mims and Ward 6 Councilwoman Janet Gaston are running for reelection unchallenged.
If none of these races have opponents from more than one party, they will be decided during April 1 primary election. If there is no clear winner in races with over two candidates, there will be a runoff election on April 22.
The general election will be June 3, and the winner will be sworn in on July 1.
