Voters delivered a dramatic night of split decisions, sending two races to runoffs, narrowing others to razor-thin margins, and handing clear mandates to a handful of decisive winners.
In the closely watched county judge race, incumbent Brandon Bell maintained his seat, defeating opponent Anson Amos by nearly doubling his vote total, 5,532 to 2,629.
“Tonight’s victory belongs to all of us. It reflects the voice of Lamar County, and I am honored to serve you,” said Bell. “You stood beside me. You encouraged me. You defended me. Most importantly, you prayed for me. Your vote is not something I take lightly. I am committed to earning your trust each and every day as your County Judge.”
The race for State Representative District 1 between Josh Bray and Chris Spencer went down to the wire, with the candidates tied at one point as results continued to roll in late into the night.
In the end, Spencer secured the win with 14,913 votes, while Bray finished close behind with 14,400 — a razor-thin margin of just 513 votes separating the two candidates.
Spencer will now face-off against Sean Huffman (D) in November.
Voters in the Lamar County Commissioner Precinct 2 and Precinct 4 races will return to the polls as both advance to runoffs.
In Precinct 2, Mike Ford led the field with 430 votes, securing 43.57% of the total but falling short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff against Alyssa West and Cody Jones.
The race for second place was tight, with West earning 27.86% and Jones close behind at 27.57%, sending Jones to a runoff against Ford.
In Precinct 4, Ken High held the lead throughout the night, but with four candidates splitting the vote, he secured just 42.32%, sending him into a runoff against Casey Johnson, who earned 36.58%.
Lance Allison finished with 10.35% and Scott Hommel with 10.75%.
The race for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5, Place 2 came down to the wire between Joey McCarthy and Stacy McNeal, with just 65 votes separating them.
McNeal narrowly prevailed with 1,645 votes (51.06%) to McCarthy’s 1,577 (48.94%).
Stephen “Red” Holmes claimed victory in the race for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4, defeating Chris Brooks 812 to 577.
Voters in Precinct 2 elected Gary Preston as Justice of the Peace, defeating Sherry Jacobs 399 to 305 and Sims Norment won the County Chair race with 5,119 ahead of Frank Wright, Jr with 3,269.
For full local and statewide elections results, click here
