Hancock County coroner race was neck-and-neck to the end, plus other election results
Hancock County voters gave Coroner Jim Faulk a third term in Tuesday’s runoff election and chose a new circuit clerk to fill the office when Karen Ladner Ruhr Hancock retires.
“I feel relieved,” Faulk said as the unofficial count showed him up by 294 votes when all 25 precincts reporting and with absentee ballots still to count.
His opponent, Jeff Hair, was leading for most of the night until the last few precincts came in. Voters in Diamondhead East solidly backed Faulk, giving him 789 votes to Hair’s 538.
The final tally put Faulk at 3,899 votes to Hair’s 3,621 votes. He doesn’t have an opponent in the November election.
Faulk, who has served as coroner for 8 years, said he was worried about this election. He came close to winning outright in the 3-person primary for coroner on Aug. 6, when he took 46% of the vote, just shy of the 50% needed to avoid the runoff.
In the other closely-watched race in Hancock County, Kendra “KK” Ladner Necaise became the next circuit clerk, taking 4,365 votes to Tammy Garber’s 3,138 votes. She has no opponent in November.
Results of the other runoff races in Hancock County are:
▪ Justice Court Judge 2 — Brian Necaise with 1,456 votes defeats incumbent James “Jay” Lagasse III with 1,135. He will run against Independent candidate Teresa Ehrlich.
▪ Justice Court Judge 3 — Eric Moran (1,128 votes), wins over Roger Estopinal Jr. (575 votes).
▪ Constable 3 — Paul Taylor (876 votes) tops Albert Biehl (753). Taylor will face Democrat Steve Saucier in November.
