Central constable election is scheduled for Nov. 6|[08/30/07]
Published 12:00 am Thursday, August 30, 2007
Warren County’s next Central District constable will be chosen Nov. 6 along with 11 other county and legislative races.
Qualified candidates seeking the job responsible for serving justice court papers will likely have until Sept. 6 to make their intentions known to the Warren County Democratic Executive Committee, chairman Mary Katherine Brown said Wednesday.
Party officials will choose someone from applications to stand for election to the position vacated by Rudolph Walker. Walker submitted his resignation from the position in July but did not resign as a candidate in enough time to avoid appearing as the lone choice for the office on Democratic primary ballots Aug. 7. Thus, official action by county supervisors to set a special election date was delayed, Board President Richard George said.
‘Because the vacancy occurred in an election year, there was no need,’ George said, adding the county’s recent advertisement asking applicants to bring resumes to the Chancery Clerk’s Office was suggested by the Secretary of State’s Office.
‘It’s unnecessary, really,’ he said. ‘The party must select a candidate.’
No interim constable was appointed, as the other two district constables have served papers in the district. One, Northern District Constable Glenn McKay. is opposed by independent Eddie Hoover in the general election. The other, Southern District Constable John Heggins was unopposed in the Democratic primary and will serve another four years.
As the only candidate in the primary, Walker received 1,344 votes in parts of 10 precincts the central district covers.
Warren County Republican Executive Committee chairman Karoline Finch said the party will not actively seek anyone to represent the party on the ballot in November, assuring the choice by Democrats will be sworn into the office Jan. 1.
Walker, also 31-year veteran of the Vicksburg Police Department, said just before the primary he was leaving office because of medical problems from a traffic accident in January 2006. A lawsuit is pending in federal court against the city, which fired him in April saying his medical leave and other benefits expired.