The Democratic candidate for Supervisor District 3 will be decided Aug. 27.

Incumbent Warren County Supervisor Charles Selmon is in a runoff with newcomer Shawn Jackson.

According to revised unofficial returns, Jackson received 362 votes to finish ahead of Selmon, who had 359. James E. Sturgis Jr. was third with 226 votes.

Jackson won two precincts, taking the American Legion Hall and Cherry Street precincts, while Selmon had the most votes at Fire Station No. 7.

Voter turnout was low for the District 3 race, with just 964 voters of the district’s 4,928 registered voters going to the polls.

Across the county, 8,883, or 34.35 percent, of the county’s registered voters cast ballots in the contested state and county primaries.

The totals include absentee ballots. The affidavit ballots will be counted Friday.

Selmon said he was depressed by the low voter turnout.

“We had basically a pretty good day,” he said. “I don’t understand why the voters’ apathy is what it is. I just can’t figure that out. I don’t know where the blame should fall.

“I think it may have something to do with this election period. I don’t know if the District 3 residents were not interested or had something else to do, but the bottom line is it was very depressing as far as actual turnout,” he said.

Selmon said the low turnout may require him to change his strategy, “But at the same time, just knock on doors and hope people will turnout.

“I’m grateful for the people who turned out to vote, and we’re looking for the rest of District 3 to turn out for the runoff.”

Jackson said she plans to continue the same strategy she used in the first primary.

“We’re going door-to-door and talking to and engaging as many residents as possible and having them understand my platform and what I plan to do as supervisor,” she said.

Concerning the low turnout in the district, she said “District 3 has historically had a low voter turnout compared to other districts. Generally that’s due to a lot. It’s due to residents not being engaged, and the incumbent hasn’t had a lot of viable competition. But I think people are energized for change.”

She said her campaign for the runoff will include getting those who didn’t vote in the primary to go to the polls and continue focusing on the ones who did vote.

“I think it says a lot for us to have a low voter turnout and for me to have gotten the majority of the votes against a 23-year incumbent,” Jackson said. “That tells me people are ready for change and they will go to the polls on Aug. 27.”

The District 3 runoff is the only contested county race on the ballot. In the other contested races, Marty Crevitt defeated incumbent District 4 Supervisor John Carlisle, and Edward Herring defeated Bill Jeffers for the Republican nomination in District 1.

Crevitt will face independent candidate Dr. Jeffery Holland in the Nov. 5 general election for the District 4 seat on the Warren County Board of Supervisors.

Herring will face incumbent District 1 Supervisor John Arnold, who is also running as an independent, in November.