A contested race later this year for county supervisor in Warren County District 4 was assured Friday when the runner-up in the district four years ago entered the race.
Casey Fisher, pastor at Greater Grove Street M.B. Church, filed paperwork in the circuit clerk’s office to run in the Democratic primary for the seat. Fisher, 48, also a former mail carrier, won 44 percent of the vote in 2011 against outgoing six-term supervisor Bill Lauderdale, who has said he won’t seek another term in the southwest Warren County district.
In January, Marty Crevitt, a member of the Warren County Port Commission, entered the race as a Republican. Primaries are Aug. 4 and the general election is Nov. 3. Qualifying ends Feb. 27 in local, district and statewide races. The statewide ballot includes races for governor and lieutenant governor.
The district covers areas between the Mississippi River, south of the river bridges, and Halls Ferry and Fisher Ferry roads. It shrinks in territory this year, as District 3 grows to the south along U.S. 61 South to Warrenton Road and to the southeast to Grange Hall Road to satisfy population shifts after the 2010 census.
Fisher, who could not be reached Friday, was among three challengers and two unsuccessful past county board candidates to file paperwork this past week for supervisor races this year.
Jim Stirgus Jr., who is District 3’s representative on the Vicksburg Warren School District Board of Trustees, filed Tuesday to challenge the district’s five-term supervisor Charles Selmon for the Democratic nod. Stirgus lost races in 2011 and 2007 to Selmon, garnering 36 percent of the vote as an independent last time. Stirgus also didn’t return calls.
In District 1, Edward Herring, an AT&T employee, filed as an independent. The district covers northeastern Warren County and is the most populous of the five districts. He joins Republicans John Arnold — the district’s incumbent — Steven Houston and Johnny Beauchamp in the race so far.
“I’m just trying to help the residents of Warren County move forward,” Herring said when reached.
“We need more teamwork at the board level and collaboration between the city and county on numerous issues.”
In the Legislature, incumbent state representatives Alex Monsour and Oscar Denton have qualified in the Republican and Democratic primaries, respectively, as has Republican state Sen. Briggs Hopson III.
Other incumbents who’ve qualified include Chancery Clerk Donna Hardy, Tax Assessor Angela Brown, Coroner Doug Huskey, County Prosecutor Ricky Johnson, District 2 Supervisor William Banks, District 3 Supervisor Charles Selmon, District 5 Supervisor Richard George, District Attorney Ricky Smith, justice court judges Eddie Woods, Jeff Crevitt and James Jefferson and constables Glenn McKay and John Heggins. As of the close of business at the courthouse Friday, The lone other challenger in a race besides county supervisor is Henry Phillips, who has filed to run against Jefferson.