Ward Two Alderman Terry Bates won re-election over threechallengers effectively by one vote, getting exactly the required50 percent plus one vote needed to avoid a runoff.

After final counting from Tuesday’s Democratic primary, Bateshad 175 votes to his three opponents’ combined 172 total votes.Meanwhile, once the totals were certified with affidavit andabsentee ballots, the final results from the city clerk’s officeshowed him with 175, which is 50 percent plus one vote, tochallenger Vernastine Byrd’s 103, Darryl White’s 52, and IdellaSanders’ 19 votes.

City Clerk Mike Jinks said White and Byrd and defeated Ward Onecandidate Elisa Corley stopped by his office Wednesday to ask abouta recount. He said White was the one who asked the questions.

“I don’t know if he was doing it for him, I don’t know which onewanted to get a recount,” Jinks said. “If they were to get arecount and that changed by a vote any way other than in Terry’sfavor, that would be a runoff.”

There are no Republican or Independent candidates in the generalelection for Ward Two alderman, so Bates is in line for his sixthterm in office.

Jinks said there are two ways the recount could occur. TheDemocratic Party can canvas the votes to try to find irregularitiesin the boxes or a candidate can actually file a complaint tocontest the election itself, Jinks said.

Jinks said in the other races, there were number changes but nochanges to race outcomes.

Meanwhile Ward One Alderman Dorsey Cameron and Ward ThreeAlderman Mary Wilson both were re-elected by convincingmargins.

Wilson, however, showed a total of 252 votes on the initialresults. But once the tally was recounted, she was found to onlyhave 248 votes in the final results.

“That’s what’s on the sheet after they certified it yesterday,”Jinks said Thursday morning. “They recounted the tally sheet ticks,where they write them down as they call out the ballots. That’s whywe say ‘unofficial.'”

Otherwise, the race for mayor is on between Independent Aldermanat large Les Bumgarner and Democrat the Rev. Jerry Wilson, whodefeated Brookhaven police officer Sudie Palomarez in theprimary.

Democratic Alderman at large candidate Ronnie Bass, who defeatedL. Ralph Smith in the primary, will face Republican Karen Sullivanafter her win over Terry Pappas in Tuesday’s election.

Ward Four Alderwoman Shirley Estes is a step closer to retainingher office after defeating challenger Asem Zeini in the primary.She will face Independent David Smith in the June 2 generalelection.