MONTICELLO — A run-off will be needed to determine LawrenceCounty’s new tax assessor/collector, but a vacant school boardmember seat has been taken.

Antrease Magee Autman and Jeff H. Peterson will meet at thepolls again Nov. 19 to determine who will finish the term leftvacant when former tax assessor/collector Annette Applewhiteresigned for personal reasons earlier this year.

The winner of the run-off election will have to campaign for theoffice again next year when the term expires.

Marjorie Davis Lucas defeated Jimmy D. Speights for the SchoolBoard District 5 seat.

The tax assessor/collector race had been hotly contested witheight high profile candidates vying for the seat. It helpedgenerate high voter interest, nearly setting a county record forvoter turnout.

In complete but unofficial results, Autman led the voting with1,612 votes, or 29.09 percent. Peterson, presently serving as theinterim officeholder, captured 1,230 votes, or 22.20 percent.

Also garnering two-digit percentages were Donna Pippen Sandiferwith 892 votes (16.10 percent) and Sherry Hyde Thames with 817votes (14.74 percent).

Kenneth R. Allen, 373 votes (6.73 percent), Mike Wilson, 290votes (5.23 percent), Heather Sistrunk Barton, 228 votes (4.11percent) and Greg T. Jones, 96 votes (1.73 percent) all postedsingle-digit percentages.

Neither Autman nor Peterson were in the courthouse Tuesdaynight, although they were receiving telephone updates throughoutthe race.

Autman was unavailable for comment Wednesday, but Peterson saidhe more than pleased with the results.

“Obviously, I feel good with the fact there’s still anopportunity for me to win this election,” he said. “The idea was toget in second place, so I’m pleased with that.”

Peterson said he had considered Autman as the person to beatfrom the beginning of the campaign because of the contributions shehad gained and the advertising and campaigning she had done.

Now that the field of candidates had been narrowed to two, hejust needs to get more people to support him for the run-off, hesaid.

“There was a good turn out yesterday. People were wound up andexcited about the election. I need to keep that momentum and getthose who voted differently yesterday to consider me and look myway,” he said.

Sandifer, who admitted to being a relatively unknown candidateat the campaign’s offset, said she was proud of her third placefinish. Sandifer worked in the tax assessor/collector office underApplewhite, as did Peterson, but said her job within the office didnot give her much public exposure.

“I enjoyed the race. It was a good experience. I appreciate allthe support I got,” she said.

Sandifer said she has not decided whether she would seek theoffice when it comes up for election again next year.

In the school board race, Speights was edging Lucas after thefirst nine of 24 boxes were counted by a margin of 184 to 112votes, but when the next announcement total was given with 15 boxestotaled, Lucas bounded past Speights 332 to 309 votes. She led fromthat point on.

Lucas ended the race with 640 votes, or 57.14 percent of thevote, to Speights 477 votes, or 42.58 percent.

Other local or regional races were unopposed. Joe Lee wasre-elected as Court of Appeals Judge District 2 and incumbentCircuit Court judges Michael R. Eubanks and R.I. “Rip” Prichard IIIrecaptured their posts.

Also running unopposed in a regional race was Chancery JudgeLarry Buffington, who also threw his hat into the Supreme Courtrace. He finished second in that race, but will remain as thechancery judge.

In state races, the county resoundingly showed their support forincumbent Rep. Sen. Thad Cochran for U.S. Senate. He finished with4,157 votes, or 82.46 percent, against Reform Party challengerShawn O’Hara with 828 votes, or 16.42 percent.

In the high profile campaign for the newly-created ThirdCongressional District, and ultimately the U.S. House ofRepresentatives, the county supported the losing candidate.Although Dem. Ronnie Shows received 51.08 percent of the countyvote (2,800 votes), he lost the election to Rep. Chip Pickering,who received 2,572 votes, 46.92 percent, locally.

In the controversial race for Supreme Court Justice (SouthernDistrict) incumbent Charles R. “Chuck” McRae was soundly defeated,reflecting state totals as well. He collected only 1,214 votes, or22.64 percent, locally.

Political newcomer Jess Dickinson, 55, of Gulfport captured43.24 percent of the local vote (2,318 votes) and extended his leadstatewide to 52 percent to win the Supreme Court election without arunoff. Buffington placed second in his statewide bid and gatheredin 1,802 votes, or 33.61 percent, to also place second locally.

Also of statewide interest was Senate Concurrent Resolution 543.A yes vote would have extended the term of judges from four to sixyears. The resolution was defeated locally by a wide margin with70.70 percent (3,746 votes) voting against and 29.29 percent (1,552votes) voting for. It was also defeated statewide.

In Franklin County, Chancery Court Judge Hollis McGehee, CircuitCourt Judge Forrest Al Johnson and School Board District 5 memberTyrone “Ty” Shell were unopposed.

In Copiah County, School Board District 5 member Henry L.Lunceford, Chancery Court Judge Edward E. Patten Jr. and CircuitCourt Judge Lamar Pickard were unopposed.