Following Tuesday’s primary races, the city of Meridian will hold a runoff for Ward 2 Democratic candidates Nathaniel Pringle, Jr. and Tyrone Johnson on May 16.

Those with a legal reason to miss the runoff election can vote absentee from 8 a.m. to noon on May 6 and May 13 or during City Hall business hours Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Only Ward 2 precincts will be open for the runoff election at the Meridian Little Theatre, Velma Young Community Center and Oak Grove Baptist Church. Only 18 percent of voters in Ward 2 cast their votes in the primary elections on Tuesday.

The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Saturday, May 6.

Results of the primary in Meridian are as follows:

Mayor: Percy Bland: 2838 votes; Allen Shute: 185 votes.

Ward 2: Nathaniel Pringle, Jr.: 204 votes; Tyrone Johnson: 210 votes; T.C. Adams-Jones: 174 votes.

Other municipalities held their elections Tuesday night. Some haven’t finished counting affidavit votes so numbers below are subject to slight changes in Shubuta, Philadelphia and Newton’s Ward 1 race.

Newton County

Newton

Ward 1 incumbent Democrat Michael Hillie won with 94 votes over challenger Arthur Thompson, who earned 21 votes. Hillie will face Norman Thompson in the general election.

Former alderman Eric McCalphia won a narrow, three-vote victory in the Democratic primary against incumbent Ward 3 alderman Eva McDonald, with 77 votes to McDonald’s 74. McCalphia will face independent Brenda Body-Hardy in the general election.

Ward 4 incumbent Ray Payne won with 37 votes over challenger Jesse Snow, who won 28 votes, in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Payne faces no opposition in the general election.

One vote made the difference in the Ward 5 election, with challenger Linda Wash winning over incumbent Ward 5 Democrat Don Vares with 45 votes to Vares’ 44. Wash faces no opposition in the general election.

Union

Incumbent Union Mayor Wayne Welch, with 192 votes, successfully fended off a challenge from local businessman Eddie Truhitt, who won 123 votes, in the primaries and will face no opposition in the June 6 election for his third term. 

Decatur, Hickory and Chunky didn’t have primary elections. 

Neshoba County

Philadelphia

Two-term incumbent Philadelphia Mayor James A. Young defeated former state Sen. Gloria C. Williamson in Tuesday’s Democratic primaries. Young had 678 votes while Williamson had 387.  Young will face Republican Josh Webb Gamblin, former Ward 1 alderman, in the general election.

Board of Aldermen

Incumbent Republican Ward 2 Alderman Jim Fulton will serve another term after getting 203 votes to challenger Jackie B Long’s 80.

Ward 3 had primary elections for both Democrats and Republicans Tuesday. Incumbent Democrat James Tatum won the primary with 115 votes, while challenger Bradford D. Smith received 47 votes. Republican Ronnie Jenkins, a former alderman, won 69 votes and challenger Leslie N. Collins won 4 votes. Tatum and Jenkins will face off in the general election.

Clarke County

Quitman

Board of Aldermen

Newcomer Democrat Vakerri Cooks defeated five-term incumbent Joe Brooks for the Ward1 alderman seat with 35 votes to his 28 and faces no opposition in the June 6 general election.

Stonewall

Newcomer Jimmy L. Smith defeated incumbent mayor Glenn Cook, who served one term, in the Democratic primary with 67 votes to Cook’s 21. Cook will face Republican Jerry L. Rich in the general election.

Shubuta

Cleveland (Baba) Peebles won 124 votes in the Democratic primary against Everett Heidelberg, who won 35 votes, and Charles Williams, who won 17 votes, and faces no opposition in the June 6 general election. 

Six Democrats ran at large for the five seats in Shubuta. However, election results will not be finalized for three to four days. Unofficially, Willie B. Nelson won 164 votes for his first term, Robin Jones won 158 votes for her first term, Roosevelt Williams won 147 votes his first term, Toria Hoze Miles won 138 votes for her second term, Wayne (Butch) Jenkins won 117 votes for his first term and Dane (Phone/man) Zuber won 101 votes for their first term.  

There was no primary election in Pachuta.

Kemper County

There were no primary elections in DeKalb or Scooba.