Hales, Allison, Lee win; Dedeaux loses, Frierson wins

By DAVID A. FARRELL/Item Staff Writer

POPLARVILLE — Election officials here on Wednesday morning released complete but unofficial returns on Tuesday’s balloting.

Sheriff David Allison won by a landslide to garner a second term as Pearl River County sheriff, and in two contested supervisor races, District One Supervisor and Board President Anthony Hales, Sr., and District Four Supervisor J. Patrick Lee won re-election, in the unofficial returns from Tuesday’s General Election.

In legislative races, Republican challenger John “Timmy” Ladner, in a stunning upset, beat Democrat incumbent Dirk D. Dedeaux (D-Necaise Crossing) in House District 93.

Dedeaux has served in the House since 1996. District 93 is composed of portions of Forrest, Hancock, Harrison, Lamar, Stone and two boxes in southeastern Pearl River County, Salem and Steep Hollow.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting in unofficial returns, Ladner had 4,219 to Dedeaux’s 3,883.

All returns listed here are complete but unofficial.

In House District 106, Republican incumbent State Rep. Herb Frierson of Poplarville easily beat Libertarian challenger Donna Knezevich, also of Poplarville. With all precincts reporting unofficially, Frierson had 3,536 to Knezevich’s 703 votes.

Democrat Hales and his GOP challenger Vernon Culpepper ran neck-and-neck most of Tuesday night until the southeast box in Picayune came in and Hales gradually lengthened his lead over Culpepper. The final results were Hales 1,114 and Culpepper 814.

Said Hales, “I have been through this a lot of times. I have a feel for these elections, and although many thought I was losing, I knew the other boxes held the key. I hope to make a large footprint during my next term. I have been here 16 years, and I know the ropes and I know what we need to do to get on a sound financial footing.”

Hales’ victory was for an unprecedented fifth term and besides being the first black supervisor and first black city alderman ever elected in Pearl River County, Hales is one of, or perhaps, the longest serving, supervisor in county history. Besides being supervisor for District One, he is the board of supervisor president.

In District Four, Supervisor J. Patrick Lee beat long-time political activist Frank N. Egger to win a second term. Lee polled 1,595 votes to Egger’s 613.

Allison’s win over Independent challenger Frank Vaccarella was by a three-to-one margin. Allison polled 76 percent of votes cast to Vaccarella’s 23 percent, or 9,780 votes to 3,024.

The Picayune businessman, who first won election as sheriff in November 2007, said he was glad the election is over.

Said Allison: “We are just tickled to death and well pleased with the support the people gave us. We are glad the election is over and we can get back to devoting 100 percent of our time helping and protecting the people of Pearl River County.”

He added, “We plan to computerize the whole department next year, which will bring us into the 20th Century, and we will continue to crack down on drugs and it will continue to be our number one priority. I want to personally thank the voters of Pearl River County for having such faith in me and my administration to give us such a big vote of confidence.”

In other county races, Pearl River County Justice Court Judge James Hal Breland, a Republican, in the North District won with a landslide. Breland garnered 4,115 votes to Independent challenger Don Lee’s 749.

In the race for Justice Court Judge, South East District, Donald Fail beat opponent James L. “Jim” Gray 3,345 to 858.

In other contested county races:

— Constable, South West District, Charles “Bogie” Stockstill 2,337 and R. “Reggie” Smith 1,152.

— In the Pearl River County School District, in District One challenger Rodney J. Dyess upset incumbent Sherwin Taylor 484 to 275, and in District Two incumbent Jeremy Weir beat Bonnie Sanders Johnson 497 to 204.

— All three initiatives won approval by county voters: Definition of a person, yes 7,711, no 5,051; voter ID, yes 9,207, no 3,547; and eminent domain, yes 10,534, no 2,320. On the statewide level, the definition of a person was rejected, and eminent domain and voter ID was approved.

— The complete but unofficial Pearl River County votes in the contested statewide and regional races: For governor: Bryant 10,410, Dupree 2589.  For Lt. Gov.: Reeves 10,792, O’Hara Hill 1473. Attorney General: Hood 5103, Simpson 7560. State Auditor: Pickering 10,151, Norwood 1874. State Treasurer: Fitch 9063, Moran 2948 and O’Hara 640. Agricultural Commissioner: Gill 2,655, Hyde-Smith 9,438, Toole 516. Insurance Commissioner: Chaney 9750, Fondren 2066, Washer 805. Public Service Commissioner, Southern District: Bentz 9374, Collier 3128. Transportation Commissioner, Southern District: Larry L. Albritton 4385, Tom King 8240. King and Bentz won in district-wide voting.