Taylor Declared Winner of District 18 Special Election

On Tuesday, District 18, which encompasses parts of Winston, Neshoba, and Leake Counties, held a special election to determine who would fill the seat vacated by long-time state Senator Jenifer Branning. Branning was elected to the Mississippi Supreme Court earlier this year, leaving the seat up for grabs.

Five individuals declared their intention to seek the seat in March: Mark Forsman of Noxapater, Lindsey Kidd, Marty Sistrunk, Jackson “Ike” Melton, and Lane Taylor, all of Philadelphia.

Election totals came in from Winston County first. Forsman would take the lead in Winston County. 765 Winston Countians came out to vote, and Forsman received 405 of those votes, or 52.94 percent. Taylor received 277 votes, or 36.21 percent. Kidd received 67 votes; Melton received 9, and Sistrunk received 7.  (These have not be certified and are considered unofficial.)

In Neshoba County, Lane Taylor received 2,023 votes or 62.61 percent of the vote. Forsman received 635 votes. Kidd earned 385; Melton received 86 votes, and Sistrunk got 97 votes. Again, these results were 100 percent reporting, but the election commission has not certified the votes.

Portions of Leake County are also in District 18. Taylor would also take the lead in Leake County, earning 711 votes. Forsman received 339 votes; Kidd received 125, Melton 113 and Sistrunk 9.

Taylor is estimated to have received 58 percent of the votes, which means there will be no runoff election.