Eighteen Tallahatchie countians filed qualifying papers Tuesday to seek political office in this year’s county elections.
Jan. 3 was the opening day of the qualifying period, which runs until Feb. 1 at 5 p.m.
The initial 18 qualifiers, listed according to the time their paperwork was filed with the circuit clerk’s office in Charleston or Sumner, are:
» Daphane Neal, 52, of 23172 Miss. Highway 32 Central, Charleston, filed as a Democrat seeking reelection to the office of circuit clerk.
» Jimmy N. Manues Sr., 73, of 1576 Dees Road, Enid, qualified as a Democrat for reelection as District 1 constable.
» Jimmy Fly, 38, of 1087 Tower Dr., Charleston, filed as a Democrat to seek reelection as sheriff.
» Shannon van der Poel, 32, of 1087 Cole Hill Road, Charleston, is a Democrat seeking the office of justice court judge in District 1.
» Kenneth “Buck” Havens, 60, of 3027 James Road, Enid, is a Democrat seeking reelection as District 1 supervisor.
» Larry Cole, 75, of 1892 Ascalmore Creek Road, Cascilla, is a Democrat seeking reelection as District 3 supervisor.
» Anita Mullen Greenwood, 64, of 1325 Greenwood Ridge, Charleston, filed as a Democrat to seek reelection to the position of chancery clerk.
» Anthony “Tony” Hawkins, 53, of 3553 Sharkey Road, Charleston, filed as a Democrat for coroner.
» Cordell Washington, 53, of 1321 Carroll Dr., Charleston, filed as a Democrat seeking District 4 supervisor.
» Johnny Goodwin, 64, of 2834 Little Road, Charleston, filed as a Democrat for reelection as District 2 supervisor.
» Marcus Echols, 44, of 1321 Echols Dr., Philipp, filed as a Democrat for reelection as District 4 supervisor.
» Denise Washington, 54, of 177 First St., Webb, filed as a Democrat for reelection as justice court judge in District 2.
» Eddie J. Meeks, 65, of 12 Garrett Road, Tutwiler, qualified as a Democrat for reelection as District 5 supervisor.
» Dennis Brown, 65, of 300 Murphy Road, Charleston, qualified for reelection to the nonpartisan District 2 position on the Tallahatchie County Election Commission.
» Kenneth M. Jones, 51, of 1275 Bruister Road, Tutwiler, filed as a Democrat seeking District 5 supervisor.
» Dianne Taylor, 53, of 1590 Elizabeth St., Charleston, qualified as a Democrat for chancery clerk.
» Jerry R. Brown, 50, of 409 Holly St., Charleston, filed as a Democrat for the office of coroner.
» Ginger Smith Meriwether, 50, of 3791 Miss. Highway 35, Holcomb, filed as a Democrat seeking reelection as coroner.
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The qualifying deadline for party primary and independent candidates is Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 5 p.m. The primary election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 8. The primary runoff election is scheduled for Aug. 29, and the general election will be Nov. 7.
Candidates for county positions will file paperwork and any required fees with the circuit clerk’s office.
Candidates for statewide and state district seats will file with the appropriate state political party or with the secretary of state’s office.
Among offices up for grabs are:
» State: Governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, treasurer, commissioner of insurance and commissioner of agriculture and commerce
» State district: State senators and representatives, transportation commissioner, public service commissioner and district attorney
» County: Chancery clerk, circuit clerk, coroner, county attorney, sheriff and tax assessor/collector
» County district: Constable, justice court judge, election commissioner and supervisor
Due to a new state law that took effect Jan. 1, county election commissioner seats will be staggered. This year, election commissioner posts in supervisor districts 2 and 4 will be on the ballot. In 2024, election commissioner positions in districts 1, 3 and 5 will be voted on. Commissioners will serve a four-year term, as usual.
All candidates must file a “Qualifying Statement of Intent for a Candidate for Party Nomination.”
Candidates seeking a party nomination for county and county district offices must pay a $100 qualifying fee.
Independent candidates for county and county district offices must pay a $100 qualifying fee, in addition to submitting the usual petition signed by a stipulated number of registered voters. Properly formatted petition forms are available from the circuit clerk’s offices in Charleston and Sumner.
Independent candidates for chancery clerk, circuit clerk, coroner, county attorney, election commissioner, sheriff and tax assessor/collector must present a petition bearing no fewer than 50 signatures.
Independent candidates for constable, justice court judge and supervisor must present a petition with at least 15 certifiable signatures.
Also appearing on this year’s ballot for some voters in Tallahatchie County are school board positions in Education District 3 (a seat on the West Tallahatchie School District Board of Trustees presently held by Edith Gipson) and Education District 8 (a seat on the East Tallahatchie School District Board of Trustees occupied by Raymond Radcliff).
The school board races are unique in that candidate qualifying for those positions does not begin until Aug. 10, and the deadline to qualify is Sept. 6. School board races will appear on the general election ballot.
School board candidates must file a Qualifying Statement of Intent and a petition signed by not fewer than 50 registered voters living within the boundaries of the school district. There is no qualifying fee for school board.
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Some general qualifications required of candidates, according to the secretary of state’s office, are:
• Be a qualified elector (registered voter) of the state of Mississippi and of the district, county or municipality of the office for which he or she seeks election.
• Has not been convicted of bribery, perjury or other infamous crime, being a crime punishable by a minimum of one (1) year confinement in the state penitentiary, i.e., all felonies, unless pardoned for the offense.
• Has not been convicted of a felony in a court of this state, or, on or after Dec. 8, 1992, of a felony in a federal court, or of an offense in the court of another state which is a felony under the laws of this state, as provided in Section 44 of the Mississippi Constitution; excluding, however, convictions of manslaughter and violations of the United States Internal Revenue Code or any violations of the tax laws of this state, unless the offense also involved the misuse or abuse of an office or money coming into a candidate’s hands by virtue of an office.
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A wide array of free downloadable publications brimming with information for candidates and voters alike are available from the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting.
