Following unofficial results from Tuesday’s special election, the Oktibbeha County Chancery Clerk race will head to a runoff between Sharon Livingston and Martesa Bishop Flowers.
Livingston received 37 percent of the votes (3,396 votes) and Flowers received 31 percent (2,885 votes), sending the two to a runoff election on Nov. 28.
Other candidates’ results included Tina M. Fisher with 16 percent (1,498 votes), Barbara A. Mitchell with 11 percent (993 votes), Margaret Monique Jordan with 4 percent (377 votes) and Hattie “Tutton” Ridgel with 1 percent (96 votes). In addition, 19 write-in ballots were cast. All candidates in a special election run independent of political parties.
Results include 605 absentee ballots, and 201 affidavit ballots will be opened Wednesday morning.
“I’m really excited to get back out on the campaign trail, and we’re just going to keep it going,” Livingston said.
Livingston has worked in Oktibbeha County Chancery Court for 18 years, and has served as interim chancery clerk since October 2016, following the death of longtime Oktibbeha County Chancery Clerk Monica Banks in September 2016.
“It’s like a big load has been lifted off my shoulders,” Livingston said of moving to the runoff.
“I’m just making sure that I’m prepared and getting the community behind me,” Flowers said. ”I definitely feel that the community can move forward and actually be progressive.”
Flowers said if she won, she hoped to bring more technology into the office to make it more accessible to the public. She also said she would run the office with “honesty, integrity and efficiency.”
Flowers is currently employed as a contracts and grants specialist at Mississippi State University.
Fisher thanked her supporters for their votes.
”It was a good run,” Fisher said. “I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I wish the two candidates that made it to runoff the very best."
Fisher said she was unsure on which candidate she would support for chancery clerk and whether she would seek public office again.
“I think my opponents ran a good race,” Jordan said. “I wish Martesa and Sharon the best, and I look forward to the runoff and seeing who the next chancery clerk will be.”
Jordan said she did not plan to seek office again.
“I wanted to do it one time and one time only,” Jordan said.
Jordan also said she had not yet made a decision on who she would vote for in the runoff.
Mitchell thanked her supporters and expressed pleasure at the election’s voter turnout.
“The race was done well,” Mitchell said. “I’m celebrating both of the women will be in the runoff on the 28th.”
Mitchell said she had decided who she would support in the runoff, but preferred to keep it to herself. She said she would “seek the Lord’ on whether to run for office again.
Ridgel could not be reached as of press time on Tuesday night.