Voters in Forrest and Lamar counties will return to the polls on August 29 for a runoff election, which was necessitated after some of the candidates in certain races did not garner the necessary 50 percent of the vote plus one vote in the August 8 primary election.
In Forrest County, local runoff elections will be held for the positions of Tax Collector, District 1 Supervisor and District 4 Justice Court Judge. The candidates for Tax Collector and supervisor are Republicans, while the candidates for judge are Democrats.
In Lamar County, the only local runoff will be for District 1 Constable, which saw seven candidates run on the Republican side.
During a runoff election, the two candidates with the most votes in the primary election face off against each other.
Runoff elections for statewide and regional candidates also may be on the ballot in Forrest and Lamar counties.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on election day, and any registered voter in line by 7 p.m. is entitled to cast a ballot. The winners of the runoff election – as well as those of the August 8 primary – will head to the November 7 general election.
The following is a list of local runoff races in the two counties.
Forrest County
- Tax Collector: David Hogan and Zac Howell will face off in this runoff. Hogan received 3,700 votes (41.78 percent) in the primary election, while Howell garnered 3,707 (41.86 percent). A third candidate, Malcolm Berch, received 1,232 votes (13.91 percent). The winner of this election will not face an opponent in the general election, as there are no Democratic or Independent candidates for the position. The winner also will take over for current tax collector Barbara Hudson, who assumed the duties after her husband and former tax collector Billy Hudson passed away in November 2022.
- District 1 Supervisor: Gentry Mordica and Wesley Clark will face off for this position. Mordica received 1,013 votes (48.30 percent) in the primary election, while Clark Garnered 392 votes (18.69 percent). Other candidates in the primary were Jeremy Burge with 313 votes (14.92 percent) and Herman Dungan with 343 votes (16.35 percent). The winner of this race will not face an opponent in the general election, as there are no Democratic or Independent candidates for the position. The winner will take over for current District 1 Supervisor Hogan, who will give up the seat because of his run for tax collector.
- District 4 Justice Court Judge: Robert Davis and DeCarlo C. Hood will face off in the Democratic runoff for this position. Davis received 428 votes (39.7 percent) in the primary election, while Hood took in 414 votes (38.7 percent). A third candidate, James M. Fenton, received 196 votes (18.3 percent). The winner of this runoff will not face an opponent in the general election, as there are no Republican or Independent candidates for the position.
Lamar County
The District 1 Constable race will be between Jason Ashley and Lance Emfinger. Ashley garnered 1,181 votes (38.75 percent) in the primary election, while Emfinger received 516 votes (16.93 percent).
Other candidates in the primary were Chip Estes with 162 votes (5.32 percent), Bryan Ford with 473 votes (15.52 percent), Frank “Gam” Gambino with 370 votes (12.14 percent), Timothy Webb with 240 votes (7.87 percent) and Dearl Head with 98 votes (3.22 percent).
The winner of this race will not face an opponent in the November 7 general elections, as there are no Democratic or Independent candidates for the position.
