By Rupert Howell

Retired highway patrolman and recent sheriff candidate Dennis Darby qualified to run again for Panola County Sheriff on the last day to qualify. Qualifying as an independent, Darby will skip August party primaries and face the winner of the Democratic Primary in November. No Republican candidates qualified for sheriff.

Darby ran non-partisan in a recent special election to fill the unexpired term of the late Shot Bright.

Darby was runner-up in that five-man race pitting him against eventual winner, Otis Griffin, in a runoff that he lost by less than 200 of almost 13,000 votes cast.

Darby will face Griffin or Democratic challenger Jimmy McCloud after a winner is determined in that August primary. McCloud is currently a Batesville Police Department captain who is using saved vacation and personal time while seeking the August nomination.

Griffin was chief deputy under the late Sheriff Bright and was appointed interim sheriff until an election was held late last November.

In a General Election there are no runoffs with it taking only a plurality, (or the one with the most votes) to win the election. Special elections or non-partisan elections, such as judgeships or school board positions, do runoffs if no candidate receives a required majority.

Michell Putman of Charles Lane, Batesville, has qualified as a Democratic candidate for Panola County chancery clerk and will face incumbent Chancery Clerk Jim Pitcock in November. Pitcock qualified as independent.

Calvin Land of Good Hope Road, Batesville, qualified as a Republican candidate for the office of Panola County tax assessor/collector. As the only Republican qualified for that office, he will face the winner of the Democratic Primary in the November election.

Carl Meyer of John Branch Road, east of Batesville, qualified as Democratic candidate for tax assessor/collector. He will face incumbent Democrat David Garner and Brad Baker in the August Primary.

The winner then faces Republican Land in November.

Circuit Clerk Joe Reid did not qualify for re-election leaving the door open to many candidates for that post.

Batesville Police Detective George Williford has qualified as independent for that post and will face opponents from both party primaries. They include Craig Sheley, Willie T. Odom, and Melissa Meek-Phelps, all who will compete for the Democratic nomination, and Karen Waldo Brown who is running unchallenged for the Republican nomination. In November, Williford will face Brown and the winner of the Democratic Primary.

Newly elected District One Justice Court Judge Mike Wilson of Sardis will face  independent candidate Butch Still, also of Sardis, who was a last minute qualifier in the November General Election.

Former Panola County Task Force commander Jason Chrestman, who is currently overseeing federal inmates at the Panola County Jail, is challenging incumbent Willie E. “Bill” Joiner for the Justice Court District Two seat in the Democratic Primary.

Winner of that primary will have won the post as there are no Republican or independent challengers.

Sheriff’s investigator Albert Perkins is challenging incumbent District Two Constable Raye Hawkins in the Democratic  Primary.

David W. Arnold and Jesse Lyons will both face incumbent Democrat James Birge in the August Primary for the office of Supervisor District One. Arnold is a former assistant road manager with Panola County and Lyons is a former District One Supervisor.

Timothy “Tim” Holliday of Old Panola Road, Sardis, has qualified as Democrat for Supervisor District Two. He will face Curtis resident William Pride and Crenshaw incumbent Vernice Black-Avant in the August Primary

The winner will face Republican Bubba Terrell of Tate-Panola Road in the November General Election.

In Supervisor District Three, John F. Thomas was a late qualifier adding his name to the list on the ballot in the Democratic Primary. Boyce Crowell also qualified for that post, but as independent.

Thomas’s brother, Monty, has qualified as Republican in that race, but a spokesperson at the Circuit Clerk’s Office indicated that the Republican Thomas may withdraw his name with the addition of the Democrat Thomas.

John Thomas will face incumbent Democrat Gary Thompson, Donnie Shaw and Robert  “B.B.” Lee in the August Primary. The winner will face Crowell in November.

Wade Meek was a last minute qualifier for the District Four supervisor post. He qualified as independent and is the third to do so. James Perkins and Michael Simon also qualified as independents.

All three independent candidates will appear on the November General Election ballot with the winner of the August Democrat primary and Phil Herron, an unopposed Republican candidate, for the District Four post.

Incumbent Democrat Kelly Morris will face Richard Hubbard and Jarrell Mills in the Democratic Primary in August to determine who will be included on the November ballot.

In District Five, Cole Flint has qualified as Democrat and will challenge incumbent William “Bubba”  Waldrup in the Democratic Primary. The winner will face Chris Brocato, who has qualified as independent.

Running unopposed are County Prosecuting Attorney C. Gaines Baker and County Coroner Gracie Grant-Gulledge. Court District One Constable Eric “Buck” Harris is also running unopposed.