NATCHEZ — The tax collector and tax assessor races are running close, with incumbent assessor Reynolds Atkins winning and a runoff between Peter Burns and Rose Daniel Johnson in the collector’s race.

In the tax assessor’s race incumbent Reynolds Atkins has 57 percent of the vote, while Jerry Lyles has 43 percent.

Lyles said he was hoping some absentee and affidavit votes would change the numbers.

“I know we have some ground to make up,” he said. “We’ll wait and see what the absentee votes bring. I’m still hoping for a victory; we just have to wait and see.

“I know we have some votes there, but I don’t know how many.”

Lyles had 3,826 votes, while Atkins has 4,997.

Atkins could not be reached for comment.

Johnson is leading in what looks to be a runoff in the collector’s office, with 3,652 votes, or 40.62 percent of the vote. Burns won 2,413, or 26.8 percent of the vote.

When the results came in late Tuesday night, Johnson said she was excited but tired.

“I’m exhausted,” Johnson said. “I’m excited we have a runoff, but I was really hoping for 50 percent of the vote.”

Burns said he was unsurprised but pleased.

“It sounds good to me,” Burns said. “It’s pretty much what I was expecting, and I’m looking forward to the next three weeks. It’s round two.”