Voters in Lincoln, Franklin and Walthall Counties helped carryRepublican Chip Pickering in his win over Democrat Ronnie Shows forthe District Three congressional seat.

According to unofficial results, Pickering had a strong hold inLincoln County as he garnered 59 percent, or 5,813 votes, whileShows brought in 38 percent, or 3,806 votes.

Neighboring Franklin County also supported Pickering with 1,726votes to Shows’ 1,342 votes. Walthall voters cast 2,350 ballots inPickering’s favor and 2,226 for Shows.

Shows edged ahead in Pike County with 5,769 votes and LawrenceCounty with 2,800, as Pickering earned 5,433 in Pike County and2,572 in Lawrence County.

“Not only did Chip win with over 64 percent of the vote, but healso won the part of the district from the old Fourth CongressionalDistrict and ran a 50/50 dead heat in Southwest Mississippi,” saidHenry Barbour, Pickering’s campaign spokesman.

Other contestants in the race each got less than 50 votes in theLincoln County totals.

In other races, results in Lincoln County showed Senator ThadCochran with almost 82 percent of the votes over Shawn O’Hara, whohad almost 13 percent.

The supreme court race for District Two judge saw Jess Dickinsonpull 55 percent as Larry Buffington secured 20 percent andincumbent Chuck McRae had 19 percent of the votes in LincolnCounty.

Incumbent judges Keith Starrett and Mike Smith won the District14 circuit court race in Lincoln County beating opposers CharlesMiller and Jack Price. Starrett gathered 29 percent, or 5849 votes,and Smith had 23 percent, or 4,684 votes. Miller got 10 percent andPrice rounded out the race with six percent of the votes.

Lincoln County School District board member James Keen Jr. wasunseated by newcomer Steve Rushing, who earned 70 percent of thevotes in the District Four race. Keen had 25 percent, with 249votes, as opposed to Rushing’s 683 votes.

“I was excited and happy to receive so many votes. I lookforward to living up to the confidence that the voters have in me,”said Rushing.

The Amendment for Senate Resolution 543 failed in Lincoln Countywith 61 percent voting no and 33 percent with yes.

In uncontested races, Clay McMorris had 90 percent of the votesin his vie for Lincoln County Coroner-Medical Examiner, JoannHolmes will continue in her seat on the Lincoln County School Boardwith 84 percent and Floye McClelland won the District Threeelection commissioner again, earning 87 percent.

Also in Lincoln County, Joe Lee won 83 percent of the votes forDistrict Four Appeals Court Judge, Ed Patten Jr. had 83 percent inthe District 15 Chancery Court Judge race, and Danny Smith gained84 percent for the District 14 Attorney position.