With her win Tuesday night, Tabitha Felder Isaac made history as the first woman elected to McComb’s selectman at-large position,
Isaac, a Democrat, defeated Republican Julius “Jay” DeSoto 1,018 (61.25%) to 642 (38.63%) and will join an entirely new six-member city board, which will be sworn in 6 p.m. June 30 at the State Theater in McComb and take office on July 1.
“Dreams do come true,” Isaac said at a victory party held at the Mahogany Event Center.
Outgoing Ward 3 Selectman Devante Johnson kept track of election returns at the party and informed Felder Isaac of her victory.
“I’m excited, overwhelmed,” she said when she learned the results.
Isaac welcomes having a Democratic majority on the incoming board.
There will be four Democrats and two Republicans on the new board with Democratic Mayor Quordiniah Lockley serving a second term.
“I feel like it will help move the city forward in a positive way,” she said.
Isaac said a video of seven Democratic candidates during the election, including herself and Lockley, helped unite the party as voters went to the polls Tuesday.
“That was the unity of the community coming back together,” she said.
Isaac’s cousin, Tracey Felder, expressed similar sentiments at the celebration.
“We united as a team. I feel like because we pulled together at the last minute, I think that the opponents felt the division in our Democratic Party, but we came together and united,” Felder said. “We were able to pull off something.”
Lynn Martin, the Democratic nominee for Ward 2, lost to Republican Matt Codding. At Isaac’s celebration, Martin said she was glad Democrats would carry the majority of the board.
“I’m very excited about how the Democratic Party actually combined together in a teamwork effort of unity,” she said. “That’s evident in how our mayor has been elected and, of course, the selectwoman-at-large has been elected because of the Democratic Party coming together.”
Isaac had more votes than DeSoto in Wards 2, 3, 4 and 5. DeSoto carried majority-white Ward 1. She said she is prepared to serve all her constituents, regardless of party.
“I’m here just to serve all the people in the City of McComb,” she said.
