Former Meridian Mayor Percy Bland will be the Democratic nominee to regain the city’s top seat heading into the June general election after he handily beat three opponents in Tuesday’s primary elections.

 

Bland, who previously served as mayor from 2013 to 2021, received more than 65% of the vote, with 2,673 of the 4,052 votes cast. The tally far surpasses the 50% of the vote plus one vote margin needed to avoid a runoff.

 

Incumbent Mayor Jimmie Smith came in a distant second in the race with 822 votes, or 20.29%. Former Meridian police officer Rita Jack received 7.25%, and Ward 5 Councilwoman Ty Bell Lindsey received 4.62%.

 

With the primary decided, the mayoral race will move toward the general election, set for June 3, where Bland will face off against Republican candidate Stephen Derick Boler and Independent Jimmy Copeland.

 

In Ward 3, a close race between incumbent Councilman Joe Norwood Jr. and challenger Tracy Tims will head to a runoff election on April 22 after neither candidate received enough votes to win outright. Tims maintained a slight lead over Norwood in Tuesday’s vote with 418 of the 1,015 votes cast, or 41.18%, to Norwood’s 376 votes, or 37.04%.

 

City Clerk Brandye Latimer said Tim’s name, which was printed as “Travis Tims” on the primary ballot, was noticed too late to make the change, but it will be correct for the general election.

 

Coming in third was Sandra Faye Moore with 111 votes, or just shy of 11%, Kimbrough with 6.8%, and Finley with 1.18%.

 

Ward 4 voters on Tuesday opted to give Councilwoman Romande Walker a second term in office as she defeated former Councilwoman Kim Houston 408 votes to 325. No Republican or Independent candidates qualified for the race, so Walker will be unopposed in the general election.

 

As longtime Councilman George Thomas, who has been on the City Council since 1985, prepares to retire at the end of the term, voters in Ward 1 were tasked with choosing his successor. In Tuesday’s Republican primary, voters choose Elliot Brewer.

 

Brewer won out over his opponent Elton Reed by 532 votes, or just shy of 65%, to Reed’s 286 votes, or approximately 35%.

 

Residents of Ward 5 are also selecting a new council member as Lindsey chose to run for mayor instead of a second term in her council seat. On the Democratic side, Brandon Rue took the nomination Tuesday with 56.43% of the vote, or 408 of the 723 votes cast. Jatara Smith came in second place with 191 votes, or 26.42%, and Shirley Bolden Goodwin came in third with 81 votes, or 11.2%

 

On the Republican ballot for Ward 5, local businessman Dustin Hill secured the nomination with 261 out of 480 votes, or 54.38%. Chad Acton received 217 votes, or 45.21%.

 

Rue and Hill will head into the general election where they face each other and Independent candidate Ricky “Rick” Spells.

 

Election results are considered unofficial until certified by election commissioners. Absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day can be counted so long as they are received up to five days after the election, and exact totals for each candidate could change as additional ballots are received.

 

House District 82

 

A special election to decide the next state Representative for House District 82 is also heading for a runoff on April 22 after no candidate reached the threshold needed to win outright.

 

Certified results from the Lauderdale County Election Commission show Greg Elliott and Joe Norwood Sr. as the top two candidates with 556 votes and 413 votes respectively. Norwood narrowly beat out local attorney Joseph Denson for the runoff by a margin of three votes.

 

With two different runoff elections on the same day, elections officials are urging residents to look at their voter identification cards and find out where they need to go to vote. Meridianites living in Ward 3 will need to go to their city voting precinct to participate in the runoff for City Councilman, while voting in the House District 82 runoff will be conducted at county precincts. Residents eligible to vote in both elections could end up voting at two separate locations.

 

Those unable to find their voter registration card can check their voting precincts online at myelectionday.sos.state.ms.us.