The Rev. Jerry Durr said Sunday he is withdrawing from thecity’s mayor’s race due to revelations of a prior felony convictionthat makes him ineligible to run.

Durr said he had exhausted his efforts to get a pardon from Gov.Ronnie Musgrove for a 1973 uttering forgery conviction. The pardonprocess is slow, and it did not appear one would be forthcoming,Durr said.

The withdrawal leaves voters in with the options of incumbentMayor Bill Godbold, Alderman-at-large Henry Newman and Roger RuffinOsborne in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

“We’ve got several qualified candidates in the mayoral race and(voters) can vote for the candidate of their choice,” said Durr inreversing an earlier position to stay in the race.

After his conviction surfaced almost two weeks ago, Durr saidthe timing was not right for him to get a pardon and stay in themayor’s race. One aspect of the pardon process is 30-day newspaperpublication of a petition for a pardon, and that was not done.

Durr got his right to vote back in 1992 through a petition inthe state legislature.

“I thought I had everything completed,” he said regarding hiselection eligibility.

However, a person with a past felony conviction must receive apardon from the governor in order to run for elected office.

Even if a pardon were granted, there was some question whetherDurr would have been eligible. An Attorney General’s opinionindicated Durr would have been eligible while a Secretary of Stateelection official maintained he would not because the unpardonedconviction would not allow him to meet candidate qualifications attime he joined the race.

James Tillman, chairman of the Brookhaven Democratic ExecutiveCommittee, welcomed news of Durr’s withdrawal.

“It removes the cloud that was hanging over the mayor’s race,”Tillman said.

Primary ballots, which include Durr’s name, have already beenprinted. A copy of Durr’s withdrawal letter will be posted at eachvoting place and voters will be verbally notified when the sign into vote, Tillman said.

“I think that will be the best way to handle it,” Tillmansaid.

The winner of Democratic primary will go on to face RepublicanJohn Roberts and Independent candidate Percy Rauls in the generalelection on June 5.

Durr said Brookhaven will continue to be a great city regardlessof who is chosen mayor.

“I think God will put His hand on them and help them lead thecity on into the 21st century,” Durr said.

Saturday was the last day to vote absentee in the city clerk’soffice and City Clerk Iris Rudman 173 had either voted in office orrequested a ballot by mail. Mailed-out ballots have to be returnedby mail by 5 p.m. today.

Polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In addition to mayor, other contested races on tomorrow’s ballotinclude chief of police, alderman at large and six ward aldermanposts.

Rudman said Tuesday’s elections will take place at city votinglocations instead of county voting precincts used during state andfederal elections. Voting places are:

* Ward One – Cloverdale Acres administrative office

* Ward Two – Alexander Junior High School Auditorium

* Ward Three – Brookhaven-Lincoln County Government Complex

* Ward Four – Brookhaven Elementary School

* Ward Five – Old Fire Station behind chamber of commerce

* Ward Six – Mamie Martin Elementary School.

Democratic primaries will be held in all six city wards. Only inWard 4, where three Republican candidates are seeking thealderman’s post, will a Republican primary also be held.

Rudman said there is no “cross-over” voting. Ward 4 residentswill have to choose to vote either in the Republican primary foralderman or in the Democratic primary for the city-wide races.