Phil Wolfe spent most of Tuesday pacing the sidewalk in front of the American Legion Hut polls on Claiborne Avenue as voters decided the Leflore County supervisor's race in District 1.
"I was real nervous," he said. He was nervous that maybe his string of three straight terms as Leflore County supervisor in District 1 was coming to an end.
But any concerns the Republican incumbent might have had quickly subsided as results began coming in, giving him a substantial lead over challenger John Lee, an independent. Wolfe won re-election with 1,851 votes, or 66 percent, to Lee's 959, or 34 percent.
"I feel a lot better now," Wolfe said from his office after the contest was decided.
He said the decisive victory gives credence to the work he has done over the last 12 years.
"You sit there and you work and you always try do what you believe is the right thing, and these people come and certify that they think you did right too. And that's great to me," he said. "It just makes you want to go and work that much harder and try to do that much better a job for them."
Lee was stationed across the street from the Legion Hut too on Tuesday, with his supporters sitting with him beneath a tent, handing out food and boosting for him. Although their efforts weren't enough to get Lee elected, he said he appreciates all the support.
"I'm glad I did it, and I'd do it again," he said after conceding the election.
Everyone who voted Tuesday had the option of casting their ballot in honor of a veteran, and the sticker Lee placed on his shirt honored his late father, Charles Lee. During the campaign, Lee pointed to his father, a former Leflore County sheriff, as the inspiration for his inaugural run for elective office. The memory of his father and mother made the experience worthwhile, said the certified public accountant.
"I didn't lose this race, because my race was won when the people started coming to me and telling me that my parents would have been proud of me," said Lee.
Wolfe, owner of Mississippi Alarm Co., called the election "a good, fair contest," even if it wasn't without a fight. In the last two weeks of their campaigns, both candidates launched a slew of newspaper ads. None were critical of the other until the final days of the campaign.
The high-spirited competition fueled Wolfe's jitters, which he says come every election.
"I have this little tradition that I just don't sit down on Election Day until it's over with," he said. "The older I get, the weaker my knees are. But so far, they've held out."
Wolfe rested easier late in the evening as he and his family celebrated with "a clean, soft-drink, grandsons, kids and everything celebration." He plans to close out the week with a trip to fish or scuba dive.
