The Democratic runoff for the McComb mayor’s race will have the same two candidates as it did four years ago.
Incumbent Quordiniah Lockley and former Mayor Zach Patterson were the top two vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary and will compete in a May 17 runoff.
The winner will face independent candidate Michael Cameron, who is the current Ward 2 selectman, in the June 21 general election.
The winner of the general election will take office July 1 with an entirely new board of six selectmen.
After all absentee ballots and affidavit ballots were added to results from the five polling places, Lockley finished Tuesday’s primary with 474 votes (34%). Patterson was five behind at 469 (33%) and current Ward 4 Selectman Shawn Williams had 446 (32%).
“You had three strong candidates, so I expected the race to be tight,” Lockley said after the results were in.
Lockley defeated Patterson in the 2018 runoff by just four votes and went on to win against former Selectman at-large Tommy McKenzie in the general election.
Lockley reached out to Williams’ supporters, asking for their votes in the runoff.
“I appreciate the voters that came out and voted for all the candidates,” Lockley said. “However, I’ll be asking the voters who voted for Shawn Williams to consider my credentials, consider my accomplishments and vote for me in the runoff.”
Lockley talked about his own support for renovating Baertown’s Alpha Center, a pet project of Williams and accomplishment for the city board in general over the past four years.
“I have been a big supporter of the Alpha Center,” he said. “I was the one who spearheaded the meeting between the county board of supervisors and Chuck Lambert, who was the president at that time, to work with us as it relates to the renovation of the Alpha Center. I was the one who contacted the schools about giving the Alpha Center to the city.”
Lockley said he was instrumental in obtaining the historical land marker for the center and a grant to help with its renovations.
After all the votes were counted in Tuesday’s primary, 1,408 of the possible 6,776 ballots were cast for a 21% turnout.
McComb Democratic Executive Committee Chair Amanda Upchurch encouraged more people to participate in the process.
“Just get out and vote,” she said. “That’s it. It’s just up to them. Their voice is very important. It’s important for them to get out and vote so I just hope they get out and vote.”
Patterson and Williams could not be reached for comment by presstime Wednesday and Lockley encouraged his supporters to continue coming out to the polls.
“Those citizens who came out to the polls yesterday for me, I appreciate your support and I’m looking forward to your support in the runoff on the 17th,” he said.
