By John Howell 

and De’Issac House

Panola County’s Republicans gave incumbent U. S. Senator Thad Cochran a slight edge in Tuesday balloting.

Unofficial returns showed Cochran received 1,179 votes to challenger Chris McDaniel’s 1,100; 51.13 percent to 47.70 percent. The third Republican, Thomas L. Carey, polled 25 votes.

The unofficial returns do not include 141 absentee ballots nor do they include affidavits ballots. Voters who appeared at precincts without the required photo were allowed to vote by affidavit. Election officials expect to have official returns by Friday.

Carey’s candidacy apparently polled enough votes statewide to prevent either front-runner from gaining the majority that would have sealed his nomination. Statewide unofficials returns at mid-morning Wednesday showed McDaniel with just under 50 percent of the vote; Cochran with just under 49 percent.

Democrat Travis W. Childers easily carried Panola County’s Democratic primary with 1,121 votes to challengers William Bond Compton’s 73, Bill Marcy’s 61 and Jonathan Rawl’s 23.

Statewide, Childers received 61,929 votes, easily winning the Democrat nomination. He will face the winner of the Cochran/McDaniel June 24 runoff in the November 4 General Election. 

Second Congressional District Congressman Bennie Thompson easily won his bid for a 7th term. In Panola County he received 1,333 votes to challenger Damien Fairconetue’s 84. Thompson’s Second District total was 40,141; 96 percent of the total.