Candidates Qualify for Tippah County Municipal Elections

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The upcoming election cycle in Tippah County, Mississippi, has seen a significant number of candidates qualify for various municipal positions, following the conclusion of the qualifying period on January 31st.

In Ripley, a series of competitive races are set to unfold. All five incumbent aldermen along with the mayor will face challenges in the forthcoming elections. Specifically, five out of the six races will be contested in the Republican primary scheduled for April 1, 2025.

The mayoral race will feature incumbent Jon Grisham (R) competing against Andy Clemmer (R).

For the alderman-at-large position, incumbent Barry H. Cook (R) will face William R. Vance (R). The Ward 1 alderman contest will see incumbent Joey Bryant (R) challenged by Shane Roberson (R). In Ward 2, incumbent Ken Walker (R) will confront Chris Taylor (R), while in Ward 4, incumbent Stephen Freeman (R) will compete against Palmer Jones (R).

In contrast, Ward 3 Alderman Jackie McKenzie (R) will encounter opposition from two independent candidates, Darren Green and Keith L. Storey, in the general election on June 3, 2025.

In other Tippah County municipalities, candidates are running as independents, thus the general electorate will cast their votes during the general election on June 3:

• Blue Mountain: The mayoral contest includes incumbent Doug Norton against Riley Bennett. For the board of aldermen, incumbents Jerrold Akins, Curt Henry, Stan Irwin, Gene Lansdell, and Jeff Pipkin are seeking re-election, with additional candidates W. Matt Akins, Linda Anne Dowdy, Julia Kelly, Amanda "Moe" Seger, and Nathaniel Smith also in the running.

• Walnut: The mayoral race features incumbent Vicki Skinner versus Chase Wilbanks. Incumbents on the board of aldermen, Larry Dollar, Joshua James, Austin Manse Pulliam, and Scott Pulliam, are joined by challengers Robert (Robbie) A. Harris Jr., Kenny Rogers, and Dallas Word.

• Falkner: James (Kenny) Shelton will run unopposed for mayor. The board candidates include John Brandon Butler, Lemon (Petie) Rutherford, Amy Butler, Amanda Wallace, Susan Rutherford, and Brenda Williams.

• Dumas: Johnathan Orman is unopposed for mayor. The board positions will be uncontested, with candidates Lauren Childers, Penny Hill, Tammy Almand, Nicholas Allmond, and Kyle Knowles.

Voters can begin casting absentee ballots starting February 18. The Republican primary will occur on April 1, with potential runoffs on April 22. The registration deadline for voting in the primary is March 3, 2025. The municipal general election is slated for June 3, with polling stations open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The elected officials will assume their roles in July, continuing the governance of Tippah County's municipalities.