2 supervisor races top local elections
Two Supervisor seats and the County Tax Collector's Office are up for grabs in this Tuesday's general election.
The biggest and most hotly contested race is in District 4, where former Supervisor Karl Banks is vying to defeat Republican Jim Harreld for the seat he lost 2015. See a full Sample Ballot here.
Banks, a Democrat, lost to Republican David Bishop by two votes in November 2015 in a race that lingered on until last year following a series of appeals that included a stint at the Mississippi Supreme Court. A special circuit court judge ultimately dismissed Banks' case in 2018 after nearly three calendar years.
Harreld, part owner of the former Harreld Chevrolet, unseated the incumbent Bishop in the Republican primary in August, garnering 1,669 votes to Bishop's 1,091.
"If elected, I look forward to using my business experience to improve Madison county, a place I've always loved and always called home," Harreld said. "We must address our infrastructure needs, primarily our roads, to sustain our quality of life."
Banks could not be reached for comment.
The other contested seat on the board belongs to current District 5 supervisor Paul Griffin, who faces a challenge from Republican Charles "Chip" Matthews.
Matthews has run on a platform of improving roads, ditches, bridges and drainage around the district.
Griffin, who has served in the position for 20 years, is pointing to the building of the multi-million dollar Sulphur Springs Park as proof he can get things done.
The other three Supervisors — Gerald Steen (District 3), Trey Baxter (District 2) and Sheila Jones (District 1) — are running unopposed.
In the Tax Collector's race, long-time incumbent Republican Kay Pace faces a challenge from Democrat Robert Earl Winn, Jr., a former Canton Police Chief and investigator for the Madison County District Attorney's Office.
The only other contested local race is for Justice Court Judge, where incumbent Democrat Martina B. Griffin will square off with Republican Bill Featherston.