Two seeking re-election to justice court|[01/24/07]

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Two more officeholders in Warren County qualified for new terms, filed paperwork Tuesday.

One-term Justice Court Judge Eddie Woods Jr. will seek re-election in the Northern District and two-term incumbent Justice Court Judge Richard Bradford III will do so in the Central District.

Woods, 42, a Republican, and Bradford, 63, a Democrat, will face their respective party’s voters in primary balloting Aug. 7. Winners there will move to the general election Nov. 6.

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Warren County has three justice court judges, elected from districts but with jurisdiction countywide. The judges hear misdemeanor criminal cases, issue warrants, hear preliminary matters in felony criminal cases and decide civil claims under $2,500.

Judges may have other jobs. Woods is an attorney who has a private practice and Bradford is associated with Jefferson Funeral Home.

The additions mean incumbents on the county level and four of five state lawmakers with constituents in Warren County have decided to file for re-election to another term in office.

Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, along with Sheriff Martin Pace and Tax Collector Pat Simrall have not filed paperwork to date, though they, like anyone who wants to be a candidate, have until March 1 to do so.

All five county supervisors will be on the ballot for another term. Two have drawn opposition.

If renominated in the Democratic Primary, District 2 Supervisor William Banks will face independent Tommie Rawlings in the general election.

District 3 will have a Democratic Primary between incumbent Charles Selmon and challenger James Stirgus Jr., so far.

Republican state Rep. Chester Masterson will face businessman Alex Monsour for the House District 54 seat. Monsour lost to Masterson in primary voting in 2003.

State Sen. Mike Chaney, R-Vicksburg, has filed, but has not drawn an opponent.

Reps. Chuck Middleton, D-Port Gibson, and Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, have qualified as well. Both are in districts that include parts of Warren County, Middleton’s in the southwest and Gunn’s in the northeast.

In Mississippi, voters do not register by party, meaning any voter may vote in either party’s primary.

If no candidate receives a majority of the votes in a primary, a runoff is held. A person who voted in the primary of one party may not cross over to vote in the runoff of another party.