TOO CLOSE TO CALL: Circuit Judge Candidates headed to Nov. 29 runoff

Published 9:31 am Wednesday, November 9, 2022

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Carmen Brooks Drake

Lydia Roberta Blackmon

NATCHEZ — Attorneys Carmen Brooks Drake and Lydia Roberta Blackmon will be facing off in a runoff election after a race that’s too close to call for Sixth District Circuit Court Post 1 Judge.

Drake has the lead with 42 percent of the votes. A candidate must have more than 50 percent of the votes for there not to be a runoff.

Preliminary results from Adams County show Drake had 1,583 votes, Blackmon had 1143 votes and Attorney Scott Pintard had 507 votes. This includes over 700 absentee votes from Adams County and a voter turnout of 44.17 percent with 8,255 ballots cast.

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In Wilkinson County, Drake had 983 votes, Blackmon had 860 votes and Pintard had 411.

This includes 133 absentee votes and a total of 2,352 ballots cast.

In Amite County, Blackmon had 612 votes, drake had 202 votes and Pintard had 279 votes with 1,099 ballots cast.

Absentee voting for the general election runoff begins Nov. 19 and the runoff is Nov. 29.

Longtime Sixth District Circuit Court Post 1 Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders chose not to seek another term.

Sixth District Circuit Court Post 2 Judge Debra W. Blackwell has been elected to another term on the bench. Half of Adams County, Half of Amite County and all of Wilkinson County elect the Post 1 Judge while half of Adams County, half of Amite County and all of Franklin County elects the Post 2 Judge.