Last week to qualify for primary election ballot
Jan. 26, 2025-Qualifying for the municipal primary election ballot ends on Friday, Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. Several candidates have placed their name on their respective party or independent ballot for the April 1 primary vote that will determine who will be on the June 3 general election ballot for mayor and alderman.
Of the four DeSoto County cities, only Horn Lake appears to have a contested race for mayor at this time. Horn Lake is where current aldermen Danny Klein and Dave Young are running on the Republican ballot and Jimmy Stokes is on the Democrat side. They are running for the post now held by the retiring Mayor Allen Latimer.
Elsewhere, current officeholders Darren Musselwhite in Southaven, Ken Adams in Olive Branch, and Chip Johnson in Hernando are at this time running unopposed on the Republican side with no Democratic candidates.
There are contested primary races among the cities as candidates run for their party’s nomination for alderman.
In Horn Lake, for instance, Heather DePree, Donnie (Chigger) White, and Joseph Piercy seek the Republican slot for Alderman at-Large with the winner to face Larry McKinney, who has filed as a Democrat in the race.
There’s a two-man race at this time in the Republican primary for Horn Lake Ward 1 Alderman. William “Bill” Adelman and Joseph “Joe” Zachary square off with the winner to face Democrat Joshua Langston.
Another two-candidate race has developed in Horn Lake Ward 2 Alderman, where incumbent Tommy Bledsoe being challenged by Grant Harlow with the primary winner to meet Democrat Yolanda Kay Hassell-Rook.
In Horn Lake Ward 6, Democrats Charlotte Armstrong and Sandra Phipps have qualified with the winner to take on Republican incumbent Alderman Robby DuPree.
In Southaven, there is a three-person race shaping up for the Ward 4 Republican nomination with incumbent Joel Gallagher running against Lisa Marie Booth and Scottie Montgomery. Ward 1 Alderman Republicans Judy Jenkins-Lewis and Timothy Putt have qualified for the open seat.
No Democrats have filed for offices in Southaven as of Friday afternoon, Jan. 24.
There is a three-person race in Olive Branch for the Ward 3 Alderman Republican primary with former police chief Don Gammage running against Dion Jones and Mike Hutchins. No Democrats are running in Olive Branch.
The same is true in Hernando, with all Republicans having qualified and independent Andrew Miller. Jeff Hobbs and Lauren McLendon are campaigning for Alderman at-Large and current Alderwoman Beth Rone Ross is challenged by Kristoffer “Kit” Kitchens in Ward 5.
In races where there are more than two candidates running, there is a possibility of a runoff vote, which would take place on April 22.
Our compilation of candidates as reported by the City Clerks in their respective cities is FOUND HERE.
