Marion County followed the statewide trend in the hotly contested race for Mississippi governor with Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves getting more votes than his two opponents but not a majority.
Reeves received 3,044 votes in Marion County’s Republican primary Tuesday, 49.5 percent of the total. Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. was second with 1,754 votes (29 percent) followed by state Rep. Robert Foster with 1,349 votes (22 percent).
That roughly mirrored the statewide totals, where Reeves had 49 percent, Waller 33 percent and Foster 18 percent.
Reeves and Waller will now face off in an Aug. 27 runoff.
The winner will go up against Democrat Jim Hood in the Nov. 5 general election. Hood easily won his party’s nomination Tuesday, getting 69 percent statewide and 70 percent in Marion County.
The other state race that Marion County voters will see on the runoff ballot will be for attorney general between State Treasurer Lynn Fitch and Madison attorney Andy Taggart. Fitch won Marion County with 2,933 votes (49 percent) followed by state Rep. Mark Baker with 1,902 votes (32 percent) and Taggart with 1,148 votes (19 percent).
In other state races Tuesday, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann easily gained the nomination for lieutenant governor, state Sen. Michael Watson captured a tight race for secretary of state and Jackson businessman David McRae won for state treasurer.
In the general election versus Democrats, Hosemann will face state Rep. Jay Hughes of Oxford, Watson will compete against former Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree and McRae will go up against former Bolton Alderwoman Addie Lee Green.
In the Southern District race for Public Service Commissioner, left vacant because incumbent Sam Britton ran for secretary of state, Pascagoula Mayor Dane Maxwell won Tuesday. He’ll face Democrat Connie Moran, the former mayor of Ocean Springs, in the general election.
For Southern District transportation commissioner, incumbent Tom King won a third term, avoiding a runoff over Tony Smith and Chad Toney.
The only contested legislative race involving Marion County will be for Senate District 40 in November between Republican incumbent Angela Burks Hill and Democrat Thomas Lehr. Neither was opposed Tuesday.
Pictured Above: Bill Waller Jr., left, and Tate Reeves will square off in an Aug. 27 runoff for the Republican nomination for governor. Reeves won Marion County with 49.5 percent in Tuesday’s primary. | Photos courtesty of Mississippi Press Association
