A second full week of qualifying saw more candidates sign up to seek elected municipal offices in Tallahatchie County this year, according to information provided Tuesday by city and town clerks.
The qualifying window opened on Jan. 2 and closes at 5 p.m. on Jan. 31 — just two weeks from Friday.
The latest qualifiers include the following:
Charleston
» Perry Lee Herron, 64, of 230 N. Lafayette St., who is seeking reelection to his position of alderman in Ward 5
» Gina M. Holley, 56, of 393 George Payne Cossar Boulevard, who is a candidate for Ward 4 alderman
» Gyrone Kenniel, 70, of 104 Gardner St., seeking re-election as Ward 1 alderman
» Lloyd C. Smith, 70, of 291 N. Market St., for reelection as Ward 2 alderman
» Sedrick Smith Sr., 52, of 309 Dorothy St., for reelection as mayor
» Laura Warrior, 77, of 546 W. Cypress St., Apt. D, for Ward 1 alderman
» Brenda Walton-Willis, 64, of 270 Sarah Ave., for reelection as Ward 3 alderman
» Michael Webster, 37, of 121 Googe Circle, for Ward 4 alderman
Glendora
» Johnny B. Thomas, 71, of 222 Jones Ave., for reelection as mayor
» LaTonya Thomas, 43, of 38 Westbrook St., Apt. 21, for reelection as at-large alderman
Tutwiler
» Nichole Harris, 46, of 291 First St., for reelection as mayor
» Donnie Cox- Powell, 66, of 331 Mayflower St., for reelection as alderman in Ward 5
Sumner reported four qualifiers during the first week but none this week. Webb has yet to report any qualifiers.
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Anyone interested in seeking the offices of mayor or alderman in Charleston, Glendora, Sumner, Tutwiler or Webb must file qualifying papers at their respective municipal clerk’s office.
The general election is June 3, and winners begin a four-year term on July 1.
Richard Gipson, chairman of the Tallahatchie County Democratic Executive Committee, announced recently that the county committee will not act as a temporary municipal Democratic committee for the 2025 municipal elections. Gipson said the action was taken because they have done just that during the past two municipal elections.
Gipson suggested that the municipalities have dragged their feet on organizing their own individual Democratic committees to conduct their elections, relying instead on the county committee.
“There is a process that they are supposed to go through, but they have failed to do that,” he noted. “We’re just getting tired.”
The lack of active, municipal Democratic committees to conduct a primary, and the decision by the county committee to take a hands-off approach, means that anyone qualifying for a municipal post in Charleston, Glendora, Tutwiler or Webb must do so as an independent candidate. They will bypass the April 1 primaries and advance to the general election on June 3.
Sumner has a Republican Executive Committee that conducts municipal elections.
Independent candidates do not pay a filing fee, but they must file a “Qualifying Statement of Intent for an Independent Candidate” and submit a petition form bearing the signatures of a prescribed number of registered voters.
Qualifying applications and properly formatted petition forms are available at all municipal clerk offices.
