With the close of filing for school board candidates on Friday afternoon, a clearer picture has developed about whose names you will see on the ballot in November.
Two school board districts will elect board members during the general election this year and in District 1, which is primarily the eastern part of DeSoto County, a new board member will be seated.
Current District 1 board member Milton Nichols has chosen not to run for another six-year term, believing it was “time to step aside,” he told DeSoto County News on Monday.
The two candidates who have qualified to be on the District 1 ballot will be Josh Sullivan and James “Eric” Wright, both of Olive Branch.
Sullivan is Vice President- Administration Memphis for ARCH Global Precision. Wright currently is an Account Manager for Dealer-FX, a subsidiary of SnapOn Tools Inc.
The other school board race on the November ballot will involve incumbent Michele Henley running against challenger April Wright.
Henley was first elected to the school board in 2016 and is finishing her first term in office. She defeated Juanita Thompson and Gail Baptist Lyons with 64 percent of the vote in that 2016 election.
Wright, a mother of two children, has had experience as a librarian in Memphis and Nashville public libraries and is back to work part-time in public libraries again. In 2021, Wright ran unsuccessfully for Southaven alderman in District 5.
Other county races on the DeSoto County election ballot for Nov. 8 appear to have no opposition, save for the U.S. House of Representatives vote between Republican incumbent Cong. Trent Kelly and Democratic challenger Dianne Dodson Black.
Allen B. Couch Jr. is on the ballot for Desoto County Court Judge Place 1 and Craig Treadway for Place 2.
Jim Greenlee is on the ballot for Court of Appeals Judge District 1-Place 1, Chancery Court Judges on the ballot are Percy Lynchard Jr. (District 3-1 Place 1), Vicki Daniels (District 3-2-Place 2), and Mitchell Lundy Jr. (District 3-2 Place 3).
Circuit Court Judges on the November ballot in DeSoto County will be Gerald Chatham Sr. (District 23-Place 1) and Celeste Wilson (District 23-Place 2)
Absentee voting for the November election will start on Monday, Sept. 26 and Monday, Oct. 10 is the deadline for voter registration for the November election.
