No surprises popped up Tuesday in the races on the Leflore County Board of Supervisors.
Incumbents Wayne Self, Robert Moore and Robert Collins all won by large margins, and District 3 Democratic nominee Anjuan Brown cruised to an easy victory over independent Charles McCain Jr.
The lack of change means the board’s current majority of Self, Collins and Phil Wolfe, who was unopposed, will remain in place.
They’ll probably have another addition to their bloc in Brown, although a challenge by incumbent Preston Ratliff of the Aug. 2 Democratic primary is set to resume in circuit court Thursday.
“I will go back in court as the supervisor in District 3,” Brown said Tuesday night. “The outcome is ultimately in God’s hand.”
Despite the races going as expected, Moore’s supporters created some drama at the courthouse after results arrived.
They erupted in loud cheers when Moore entered the front lobby and hoisted the victorious District 2 supervisor on their shoulders while chanting his name.
The Democrat won his sixth term over independents Keith Chapman and Dwight McClee.
Moore got 900 machine votes, 67 percent, versus Chapman’s 231 votes, 17 percent, and McClee’s 209 votes, 16 percent.
Following a sermonette and prayer from a reverend, Moore addressed the crowd, which resembled a church audience in fervor.
A defiant Moore said he hopes District 2 serves as an example for the rest of the county.
“You have spoken. You have said don’t go along just to get along. You have said speak up for what is right and justice. You have said speak up for sharing in the county spending with African-American businesses and all small businesses,” the Browning resident said to numerous “amens.”
In District 5, voters re-elected Collins to his second term with 1,035 votes, 64 percent, against 573 votes, 36 percent, for Ted Barrett.
Collins, a Democrat, said people must have liked what he did in office.
“That was my campaign,” he said. “I plan on working just as hard these next four years as I did the past four years.”
Board President Wayne Self crushed opponents Solomon Osborne and Eric Mitchell thanks to strong support in Self’s native Itta Bena.
Overall, Self received 934 votes, 58 percent. Osborne got 378 votes, 23 percent, and Mitchell 302 votes, 19 percent.
• Contact Charlie Smith at csmith@gwcommonwealth.com.
