Forty-eight candidates have filed qualifying papers to seek municipal office in Tallahatchie County this year.
Twenty-five of those political hopefuls signed up to run within the final four days of the monthlong qualifying period, which closed Jan. 31.
Charleston, Glendora, Sumner, Tutwiler and Webb will elect a mayor and aldermen.
Charleston is the only municipality in the county that will conduct a party primary election, as it is the only one in which candidates were able to qualify under the Democratic Party banner. As it appears now, four of five incumbent Charleston aldermen face Democratic challengers, necessitating the primary election, which will be held on April 1.
Sumner, whose six Republican Party candidates are all unopposed incumbents, will not have a primary. Neither will Glendora, Tutwiler or Webb, where all candidates filed qualifying papers to run as independents.
The general election will be held on June 3, and the winners will begin a four-year term on July 1.
The lineup of candidates who filed qualifying papers (but who still must be certified by municipal election officials as having met all eligibility and procedural requirements before they can appear on the ballot) is as follows:
CHARLESTON
Mayor
• Sharon Bradley, 36, independent
• Incumbent Sedrick Smith Sr., 52, Democrat
• Travis Taylor, 69, independent
Ward 1 alderman
• Dorothy Brown, 78, Democrat
• Incumbent Gyrone Kenniel, 70, Democrat
• Laura Warrior, 67, Democrat
Ward 2 alderman
• Incumbent Lloyd C. Smith, 70, Democrat
Ward 3 alderman
• Tawanda Shannon, 50, Democrat
• Incumbent Brenda Walton-Willis, 64, Democrat
Ward 4 alderman
• Gina M. Holley, 57, Democrat
• Incumbent Sandy F. Smith, 45, Democrat
• Michael Webster, 37, Democrat
Ward 5 alderman
• Cassandra Harris-Patterson, 44, Democrat
• Incumbent Perry Lee Herron, 65, Democrat
GLENDORA
Mayor
• Incumbent Johnny B. Thomas, 71
At-large aldermen
• Incumbent Catherine Bridges, 47
• Incumbent Denise Fletcher, 53
• Incumbent Doilean Hill, 67
• Incumbent LaTonya Thomas, 43
SUMNER
Mayor
• Incumbent Jackson Webb IV, 48
At-large aldermen
• Incumbent Pamela M. (Pam) Fortner, 70
• Incumbent William Wright Boggan, 46
• Incumbent Frank Mitchener, 91
• Incumbent Charles H. Robinette III, 43
• Incumbent (Jack) Graham Flautt III, 52
TUTWILER
Mayor
• Incumbent Nichole Harris, 46
• John “Cheeseburger” Jones, 52
• Johnnie “Muffin” Sykes, 45
Ward 1 alderman
• Darwin L. Dumas, 52
• Daven L. Grayson, 46
(Incumbent Tutwiler Ward 1 Alderwoman Linda Johnson is not seeking reelection.)
Ward 2 alderman
• Incumbent Queen Esther Jones, 71
• Sheron Reed, 40
Ward 3 alderman
• Sherry Thomas Ellington, 66
• Incumbent James E. Farmer, 60
Ward 4 alderman
• Dana A. Bell, 38
• Incumbent Diane Pimpton, 61
Ward 5 alderman
• Incumbent Donnie Cox-Powell, 66
WEBB
Mayor
• Barton Cox, 68
• Mary Croft, 63
• Incumbent Michael Plez, 60
Ward 1 alderman
• Incumbent Hilary Benson, 46
Ward 2 alderman
• Incumbent Maggie Outlaw, 70
• Shirquita Walker, 42
Ward 3 alderman
• Incumbent Chiquita Jones, 52
• Skyler Pickett, 35
Ward 4 alderman
• Incumbent Betty Powell, 60
Ward 5 alderman
• Incumbent Denise Calhoun, 44
• Willie J. Garner, 55
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated that Marilyn Gibbs was the incumbent Ward 1 alderperson in Webb and did not seek reelection. However, Gibbs had not served in that role since 2017. Hilary Benson is the two-term incumbent alderperson in Webb Ward 1.
