A race for state representative for House District 82 is heading to a runoff after none of the three candidates reached the majority vote needed to win in Tuesday’s election.

 

State Rep. Charles Young Jr. previously served as the representative from House District 82, which includes most of Meridian, until his death in December 2024. Gov. Tate Reeves in January declared a special election to find his replacement.

 

Unofficial results from the Lauderdale County Circuit Clerk’s office show Gregory Elliott, a current member of Meridian’s Civil Service Commission, as the front runner with 40.3% of the vote. In second place is longtime Lauderdale County Supervisor Joe Norwood with 29.99% of the vote and Meridian attorney Joseph Denson in third with 29.70% of the vote.

 

According to vote tallies, Denson was favored by voters on Election Day, receiving 364 votes to Norwood’s 345. Absentee ballots, however, pushed the race in Norwood’s favor 68 votes to 43. In total, Norwood took second place by a margin of four votes and will move on to the runoff election against Elliott.

 

In a post on social media Wednesday, Denson congratulated Elliott and Norwood for their election success and thanked his supporters for their efforts during the campaign.

 

“Last night, the people of District 82 made their voices heard, and I respect and accept the outcome of this election,” Denson’s campaign posted on social media. “We will not contest or challenge the results in any way. We remain committed to the democratic process and the values it represents.”

 

The runoff election between Norwood and Elliott is set for April 22. Absentee voting for the runoff begins April 12.