By Jennifer Jacob Brown / staff writer
Out of more than 10,000 registered voters in Mississippi House District 82, less than 2,500 turned up at Tuesday's special election for that seat. Those voters that did make it to the polls sent the top two candidates, Wilbert Jones and Bill Marcy, into a June 30 run-off.
There were five candidates in the special election: Robert Barfield, John Harris, Roscoe Jones, Wilbert Jones and Bill Marcy. Since none of those candidates got 50 percent of the vote plus one, the two candidates that got the most votes will face each other in the runoff in three weeks.
Wilbert Jones enjoyed the most support, with 41.64 percent of the electronic vote, while Marcy got 33.03 percent. Barfield, Harris, and Roscoe Jones each got less than 15 percent of the electronic vote.
The candidate that wins the run-off will replace the late Rep. Charles L. Young, Sr., who served on the legislature for 30 years before he passed away April 29. The race is nonpartisan.
Jones, who has the support of the Young family and the Mississippi Democratic Party, and Marcy, who has the support of the Mississippi Republican Party, both said their main priority while campaigning will be getting out the vote.
"I'm very thankful for the people who voted for me," Jones said. "I'm disappointed that the voter turnout was so low... We're going to push participating in the process."
Marcy agreed.
"We're excited and we're motivated and we're looking forward to getting the vote out," said Marcy. "We're looking forward to getting twice as many votes (as were cast Tuesday) and that will help us."
Jones said he wants to let voters know that his campaign is "about this community...being able to send a message to Jackson."
He said as a legislator he will focus on bringing economic development to the area and improving the educational system.
Marcy said he plans to win the election by "outwork(ing) my opponent. I'm going to work day and night, night and day."
He said that, as a legislator, he will focus on getting the budget passed, stabilizing the economy, and getting a Voter ID requirement passed in Mississippi.
Jones has been the director of Greater Meridian Health Clinic for the past 22 years. Marcy is a retired law enforcement officer from Chicago.
