Five races are headed to the Aug. 27 Primary Runoffs in Lamar County, including the elections for chancery clerk, supervisors in Districts 3 and 4, District 3 constable, and county surveyor. All candidates ran as Republicans in the primary Tuesday.
The closest contested election was for Lamar County Chancery Clerk after the retirement of current Chancery Clerk Wayne Smith. Phillip D. Carlisle, who is leaving as District 4 supervisor, led the six-person field with 2,741 votes, or 22.31 percent. He was followed by Jamie Aultman with 2,643 votes, or 21.52 percent.
In third place was John Hale with 2,395 votes (19.5 percent), trailed by Cheree Sanders (1,943 votes, 15.82 percent); Melissa Breazeale Love (1,494 votes, 12.16 percent), and Terry Jarrell (1,060, 8.63 percent).
In District 3 Supervisor – where Joe Bounds is not running for re-election – Terry Bass is facing Larry Bracey in the runoff. Bass had 1,281 votes, or 48.99 percent, to lead Bracey (728, 27.84 percent). Robert Hedgepeth was third with 428 votes (16.37 percent), followed by James Smith with 176, 6.73 percent.
The District 4 Supervisor race, which Carlisle vacated to run for chancery clerk, was led by Mitch Brent with1,522 votes, or 43.36 percent. He will face Tony E. Shifalo Jr. in the runoff. Shifalo had 662 votes, or 18.86 percent.
Also running in the District 4 supervisor election were Joshua Kent Grantham with 338 votes (9.63 percent), J. Robert Burge with 318 votes (9.06 percent), Eddie Thaggard with 301 votes (8.58 percent), Brian McPhail with 282 votes (8.03 percent), and Matthew L. Stuart with 87 (2.48 percent).
In the District 3 constable’s race, Scooter Coker and Lyn Thompson advance to the Aug. 27 runoff for the Republican position. Coker led the four-person race with 1,864, or 42.41 percent, while Thompson had 1,060 votes, or 24.12 percent.
Other candidates for District 3 constables included J.R. Daughdrill Sr. (1,016 votes, 23.12 percent) and Abner Keith (448 votes, 10.19 percent).
For Lamar County Surveyor, Marc A. Broome and Hunter Andrews will square off in the Republican runoff. Broome outdistanced Andrews and Jeremy Tynes with 4,604 votes for 40.88 percent. Andrews collected 4,416 votes, or 39.21 percent. Tynes trailed with 2,228 votes to have 19.79 percent.