Preston Ratliff lost his re-election bid Thursday, but he didn’t lose the chance to take a swipe at Anjuan Brown.
While leaving after the results were announced, the District 3 Leflore County supervisor walked past his victorious opponent without a word. Instead, Ratliff shook hands with Brown’s attorney, Lee Abraham, who was sitting next to Brown.
“Congratulations, Mr. Abraham, on a campaign well run,” said Ratliff, who has alleged that Abraham and his brother, County Administrator Sam Abraham, controlled Brown’s bid for office.
Moments later, Ratliff referred to two of Brown’s supporters, George Ellis and Andrew Powell, as “boys” before leaving the Board of Supervisors room at the courthouse.
Both Ellis and Powell are 59 years old.
African-Americans generally consider the term “boy” to be a racial slur when applied to adult males. The sensitivity dates back to slavery, when owners refused to refer to their adult male slaves as men.
Ratliff, Brown, Powell and Ellis are all black.
When asked if the term “boy” had been meant as an insult, Ratliff said, “Slightly, but it was intended to be.”
Ellis said he always seems to get called a boy.
“I just do what’s right and fair. Maybe one day I will earn the respect to be called a man,” he said with some sarcasm in his voice.
Powell declined comment.
Brown attributed Ratliff’s behavior to frustration.
“That’s OK. I understand frustration. I’ve been frustrated before,” he said. “I don’t think that takes anything out of his character.”
The battle for the Democratic nomination for District 3 supervisor has been contentious and closely watched.
In Tuesday’s machine vote, Ratliff received 428 votes, or 52.5 percent, to 387 votes, or 47.5 percent, for Brown.
But the 41-vote lead quickly disappeared when the Leflore County Election Commission and the Leflore County Democratic Executive Committee began counting absentee, affidavit and curbside ballots Wednesday.
They finished around noon Thursday.
Thanks to a nearly 4-1 advantage in the absentee ballots, Brown won comfortably.
He received 601 votes, or 54 percent, versus 505 votes, or 46 percent, for Ratliff.
“I want to thank God and thank my family, thank all those who did support me in this election,” Brown said. “It was a long, hard effort, taking nothing away from Mr. Ratliff.”
Brown said he wanted to remind voters that he’s still on the ballot for Nov. 8, facing independent Charles McCain Jr.
If elected, Brown said he wants to work with not just District 3 but all of Leflore County.
“My main focus is going to be bringing in jobs and cleaning up my areas, but right now I’m just focusing on November,” he said.
Ratliff didn’t say whether he intends to challenge the election results.
“I’ve got to get with my committee. I do have some concerns about the excessive number of absentees,” he said.
Out of the 1,100 ballots cast in the election, 21 percent were absentee.
Ratliff said his campaign workers visited about 20 absentee voters Wednesday, and he said many of those voters didn’t know who they had voted for.
Ratliff said he’s also seriously considering a write-in campaign in the general election.
He said the Abrahams spearheaded Brown’s candidacy and said he considers Brown, District 5 Supervisor Robert Collins, Ellis, Powell, Kyle Scott, Carl Winters and Charlie Stevenson as “hired guns.”
“It was almost like the wild, wild West where the rich hired all the gun hands,” Ratliff said.
Scott said he’s been called plenty of names but doesn’t like to get into such discussions. Rather, he said he’s looking for a supervisor who can deliver what he promises to the people.
“I don’t have any bad blood with (Ratliff) or that situation. The people of District 3 have spoken,” said Scott, who owns some rental property in Baptist Town within the district.
He said if Brown can’t deliver then the people will replace him in four years, too.
“Any position that’s elected, it’s not yours. It’s the people’s place,” Scott said.
•Contact Charlie Smith at csmith@gwcommonwealth.com.
