Kevin Ford carried Warren, Issaquena and Yazoo counties to defeat Dr. Randy Easterling in a runoff to complete the unexpired term of former District 54 Rep. Alex Monsour.

Incomplete and unofficial returns Tuesday showed Ford with 1,386 votes to 917 for Easterling.

The totals do not include absentee or affidavit ballots, which will be counted Wednesday.

“The people of District 54 have spoken, and I’m going to support Kevin 100 percent,” Easterling said. “He ran a good campaign, so we’ll just move forward.”

Ford carried Warren County with 1,386 votes, or 59.53 percent, to 814 votes, or 40.42 percent for Easterling. He received 36 votes in Issaquena to 12 for Easterling, and had 151 votes in Yazoo County to 91 for Easterling.

“I want to say thank you to Randy for running a good, hard-fought campaign, but a clean campaign; he worked really hard” Ford said.

“We were just happy we were able to put education front and center. That was our goal at the beginning and we felt like it worked well for us. I want to say thank you to all the voters that showed up and were part of the process. We’re looking to getting over to state and putting in the hard work to make our district better.”

Ford finished first and Easterling second in a three-candidate primary race with Vicksburg contractor Joe Bonelli on Nov. 7.

During the runoff campaign, Easterling received the endorsements of Mayor George Flaggs Jr. and Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, a Vicksburg native.

Monsour, a Republican, resigned his seat in the Mississippi House July 5, about a month after defeating then-incumbent South Ward Alderman Willis Thompson in the June 6 municipal general elections.

His resignation came after a state Attorney General’s opinion said he could no longer serve as District 54 representative because under the city’s special charter the aldermen has administrative as well as legislative responsibilities.

Prior to winning the alderman’s seat, he had served in the Legislature for 10 years.

Precinct by precinct voting was as follows:

Kings — Easterling 17, Ford 20

Redwood — Easterling 19, Ford 28

Oak Ridge — Easterling 10, Ford 35

Junior High — Easterling 3, Ford 6

3-61 — Easterling 5, Ford 18

Tingleville — Easterling 13, Ford 12

Plumbers and Pipefitters — Easterling 103, Ford 133

Bovina — Easterling 103, Ford 192

Beechwood — Easterling 184, Ford 242

Cedar Grove — Easterling 6, Ford 11

Culkin — Easterling 351, Ford 502

Yazoo County — Easterling 91, Ford 151

Issaquena County — Easterling 12, Ford 36.