Latest news with #Ward2CityCouncil
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hattiesburg, Petal hold municipal primary elections. What's next?
Following Tuesday's primary elections in Hattiesburg and Petal, leadership in those cities are shaping up ahead of the June 3 general election. None of the races in Hattiesburg or Petal require a runoff, as all winning candidates secured the minimum 50%-plus-one votes. The winners of the primaries also secured their positions in their respective cities since they have no opponents in the June 3 general election. In Hattiesburg's Democratic primary, Eric Boney was able to secure the Ward 2 City Council seat, defeating his opponent Carlos Wilson with 506 votes or 69%. Wilson received 226 votes or 31% of the total votes in Ward 2. It will be Boney's first term on the council, replacing longtime Councilwoman Deborah Delgado, who decided to retire from city politics. She has served the city since 2001. Ward 5 Councilman Nicholas Brown will return to office in July, having defeated his opponent Ashley Perkins with a narrower margin. Brown secured 447 votes or 56% to Perkins's 338 votes or 44%. This is what to expect on the ballot for the June 3 general election in Hattiesburg: Mayor Toby Barker is running unopposed. Ward 1: Councilman Jeffrey George, a Republican, will face Democrat Stefon Ward. Ward 2: Eric Boney is unopposed. Ward 3: Longtime Councilman Carter Carroll is not seeking reelection. He was first elected in 1997. Three people are hoping to become the next council member for the district: Independent Joe Henry Wiley Sr., Democrat Keenon Walker and Republican LeAnn Van Slyke Vance. Ward 4: Councilman Dave Ware is running unopposed. Ward 5: Councilman Nicholas Brown is running unopposed. In Petal, Mayor Tony Ducker took a strong lead with a lion's share of the votes in the three-way Republican primary. Ducker received 946 votes or 89% to E.J. Miller's 89 and Emily Dawn Escolas' 25 votes. Ward 1 Alderman Gerald Steele also cemented his return to office with 147 votes or 79% to his opponent Josh Gipson's 40 votes or 21%. Petal will not hold a general election in June since the remaining candidates were unopposed. Returning to office in July with Ducker and Steele are Alderman at Large Mike Lott, Ward 2 Alderwoman Kim Stringer, Ward 3 Alderman Blake Nobles, Ward 4 Alderman Craig Strickland, Ward 5 Alderman Drew Brickson and Ward 6 Alderman Craig Bullock. There were no primary races held in Lamar County cities. In Purvis, all of the city's current leaders are running unopposed so the city will not hold elections this year. Returning to office for a new term in July are Mayor Roger Herrin, Alderman at Large Wendell Hudson, Ward 1 Alderwoman Donna Bielstein, Ward 2 Alderman Vernon Hartfield, Ward 3 Alderwoman Jerry Smith and Ward 4 Alderwoman Deborah Ferrell. In Lumberton, all races are challenged, so will be decided in June. Incumbent Mayor Quincy Rogers will face challengers in Ward 1 Alderman David Kent Crider and James Sandifer Jr. Former alderwoman Tina Speights and Bobby Gibson are challenging incumbent Alderwoman at Large Sandy Kee. Ward 1 Alderman David Kent Crider is running for mayor in 2025, so the district will elect a new official to serve. Candidates who are seeking the office are Tommy Rheams, Annette Sandifer and Elaine Clark. In Ward 2, incumbent Kyle Crider will face off against Laurie Surla. Incumbent Ward 3 Alderwoman Myrtis Holder will face former alderman Johnathan Griffith. Former alderwoman Audrey Davis is hoping for a return to city government. She is challenging incumbent Ward 4 Alderwoman Jasmin Holder. In Sumrall, candidates are running as independents in the June 3 election. Ward 4 Alderman Darrell Hall and Ward 2 candidate Shanna Istre have uncontested races, so they will be sworn into office in July. Incumbent Ward 2 Alderman Lee Granberry is not seeking reelection. Contested races in Sumrall: Mayor: Incumbent Joel Lofton will face challenger Dwayne Jones Alderman at Large: Incumbent Brittany Fortenberry will face Trina McLendon Ward 1 Alderman: Incumbent Lamar Reed will face Jeffery Coulter Ward 3 Alderman: Incumbent Pam Birdsong Graves will face Amanda C. Whiddon Lici Beveridge is a reporter for the Hattiesburg American and Clarion Ledger. Contact her at lbeveridge@ Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: See winners in Hattiesburg, Petal elections and who is running in June
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two candidates vie for Hattiesburg Ward 2 seat
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – Two candidates are hoping to fill Hattiesburg's Ward 2 City Council seat. The seat is open for the first time in more than two decades after Councilwoman Deborah Delgado decided not to seek re-election. Eric Boney and Carlos Wilson, who are both Democrats, are vying for the position. Boney, a native of Hattiesburg, is the former principal of Hattiesburg High School and Youth Court counselor. He wants to make his ward more accessible for low income families with more affordable housing. 'For a city to continue to thrive and survive, you need families, and they need a place to stay in. Ward 2 has a lot of potential, but housing is just one of those things that we need to focus on for families to move into Ward 2,' Boney stated. Purdie running unopposed in Clinton mayoral race He also wants to improve infrastructure to prevent flooding and tackle food insecurity. 'Decision-making is very important. There are going to be some issues that citizens, of course, know about and know what they want to do, and then there are going to be some issues that they may not know so much about. But that's when I step in and make those good decisions for them,' Boney said. Wilson is a community advocate and the pastor of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Hattiesburg. He wants to bridge a gap between local government and the people. 'The average citizen just doesn't know what the process is. And so having a voice at the table from city government back to the people and from the people back to government, we can reduce the frustration on both sides of the aisle,' Wilson said. Wilson said he's had success in revitalizing parts of Ward 2, and he's focusing on continuing those efforts with better infrastructure while demanding an equal budget. 'If we could deal with what could be sometimes seen as unfair policies or policies that don't meet the needs of every constituent, as well as the infrastructure, the housing. And then, of course, the budget issues. Want to make sure that Ward 2 gets her fair share of monetary budgets,' stated Wilson. Only Wards 2 and 5 will hold primary elections, which will be held on April 1. The General Election will be on June 3. 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.
