Voters send Butler to second term

Published 12:08 am Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Aquetta Butler, left, cleberates with her husband Calvin Butler, right, as he is conratulated Tuesday evening after winning re-election to a second term as Adams County District 5 supervisor. (Ben Hillyer / Natchez Democrat)

Aquetta Butler, left, cleberates with her husband Calvin Butler, right, as he is conratulated Tuesday evening after winning re-election to a second term as Adams County District 5 supervisor. (Ben Hillyer / Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — The voters of District 5 overwhelmingly re-elected Calvin Butler Monday night, sending the incumbent supervisor to his second term with more than twice the votes for his opponent.

Butler had previously survived two rounds of primary challengers in August before facing Republican Grady Wilson at the polls Tuesday. Unofficial results saw Butler take approximately 68.2 percent of the vote with 1,103 ballots in his favor. Wilson received 514 votes.

“I started this nine months ago, so it’s like having a baby,” Butler said. “At 7:35 p.m. on Nov. 3, the baby arrived healthy.”

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Butler said he thanked God “for putting me back where I am supposed to be, to do His work,” as well as his supporters and the people of the county, “for the vote of confidence to give me the opportunity to keep moving Adams County forward.”

With Butler’s re-election, Adams County’s voters have returned four of the five sitting members of the county government to the supervisors’ table. The fifth supervisor — District 4 Supervisor Darryl Grennell — did not run for re-election, and will be replaced by current Natchez City Alderman Ricky Gray, who was elected in the primary.

Butler’s campaign focused on moves the board has made to attract new jobs to Adams County and improve access to recreational opportunities for residents.

While he acknowledged Tuesday his first four years in office had an ugly mark — the county hospital’s bankruptcy — he said the current board inherited that situation and other infrastructure messes.

But taking the office for a second term means accountability for his district and the county’s successes and failures falls clearly on his shoulders, Butler said.

“I’ve worked and straightened things out, and now I get the opportunity to continue for the people of Adams County,” Butler said. “I have nothing to do but work for the people of Adams County, and I take total responsibility as the supervisor of District 5 to move it forward, because this is my watch.”

Wilson said he wanted to offer his congratulations to his opponent.

“I ran because I wanted to make a change, and I hope he will make an effort to make a change,” he said.

“I want to thank the voters who voted for me and all the folks of Adams County.”