Clinton voters to wrap up municipal elections
By Randy Bell
The final phase of choosing new City leaders awaits Clinton voters on June 3. The general election features only three contested races for positions on the Board of Aldermen, but voting will take place citywide.
“All six precincts will be open, because of the alderman at large position being contested,” says City Clerk Jimmy Baldree.
Voters in each ward choose a Board member, and the alderman at large is elected by the city as a whole, as is the mayor.
On April 1, voters in Ward 3 elected Amanda Jones as their new alderwoman. Jones defeated two challengers in the Republican primary and faces no opposition in the general election. She’ll replace Robert Chapman, who’s running for alderman at large.
Another new face on the Board will be Republican T.J McSparrin, who was unopposed for the Ward 2 position after Republican Jim Martin decided not to run for reelection.
Also running without opposition are Republican Will Purdie for mayor, Republican Alderwoman Karen Godfrey in Ward 1 and Alderman James Lott, a Democrat, in Ward 6.
In the general election, Chapman, a Republican, faces Democrat Dr. James Warren for alderman at large. The winner of that race replaces Republican Dr. Ricki Garrett, who didn’t seek another term.
Ward 4 Republican Alderman Chip Wilbanks is being challenged by Kevin Anderson, a Democrat.
And Ward 5’s Beverly Oliver, a Republican incumbent, goes up against Hayden King, an Independent candidate. The names of those running in the uncontested races will also appear on the June 3 ballot.
In Ward 1, the voting will take place at the Clinton Visitor Center at 1300 Pinehaven Drive.
The Ward 2 polling place will be at Wildwood Baptist Church, 101 Auburn Drive.
In Ward 3, voters will go to the Traceway Park administration building at 200 Soccer Row.
Voters in Ward 4 will cast ballots at the Wood Activity Center at 111 Clinton Boulevard.
The Public Works Building at 525 Springridge Road will serve as the Ward 5 polling place.
And, in Ward 6, the voting will be at the Clinton YMCA at 400 Lindale Street.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Voting Location Postcards Mailed To Households
Registered voters in Clinton should have received a postcard from the City in late May with information about the general election. The cards, one to each address, list the ward in which the address is located (which may have changed because of redistricting) and the polling place for that ward. Also included is the City Clerk’s phone number for any election-related questions and the City’s website for more information.
Candidate Forum Available For Viewing
Before they go to the polls June 3, Clinton voters can hear from the candidates involved in the three contested races on the ballot.
The candidates running for Alderman at Large (Republican Robert Chapman and Democrat Dr. James Warren), as well as for Board of Alderman positions in Ward 4 (Republican Chip Wilbanks and Democrat Kevin Anderson) and in Ward 5 (Republican Beverly Oliver and Independent Hayden King) participated in a candidate forum at City Hall on May 22, and the video is available to watch on the City’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
The candidates answered questions about economic development, public safety, transparency in City government, parks and recreation and the Hinds County pull-out proposal. Each was also asked to provide their ten-year vision for Clinton.
