Two Republican selectmen who are running for re-election on the McComb city board could face disqualification.
Victor Lowery and Dyna Beech represented the Republican party before the Pike County Election Commissioners at a meeting Thursday evening to sign contracts between the commissioners and political parties to move forward with the upcoming city primaries.
During this meeting Lowery and Beech were given until Friday to produce documentation of having followed state law in forming a temporary party committee to certify candidates.
The issue at hand is over the adherence of a state law that lays out the path for parties to certify candidates.
Lowery and Beech said they were told by City Attorney Jennifer Collins that they could move forward following only one section of the law.
However, Election Commission Chair Jemika Bates repeatedly said that the first section of the law must be followed before party officials can rely on the section they were told was applicable.
The commissioners have signed a contract with the Democrat Party to handle its primary, and plan to meet at 4 p.m. Friday to receive additional documentation from the Republican Party about its certification process.
If Republican candidates Tommy McKenzie and Matt Codding are disqualified, then a special election would need to be held for Ward 1, which is McKenzie’s seat, and Codding would lose his Ward 2 seat to Democrat candidate Tiffany Gordon.
