Live updates: Mississippi Coast general election results for mayors, city councils

The polls closed at 7 p.m. for Municipal General Election Day 2021 in nearly 200 cities across Mississippi.

On the Coast, elections were held in nine of the 12 cities: Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, D’Iberville, Diamondhead, Gautier, Gulfport, Moss Point, Ocean Springs and Pass Christian.

Long Beach and Pascagoula have no contested races, and Waveland’s municipal election is in 2022.

All results are unofficial until absentee votes are counted and the results are certified, typically within a week or so of Election Day.

This story will update with the latest results and information from Sun Herald reporters scattered across the Coast.

10:10 p.m.

Find the full results from all the races here.

10 p.m.

In Moss Point Ward 5, there are nine affidavit ballots and 11 potential outstanding absentee ballots that could come in over the next five days, election officials said. The race is still too close to call.

• Willie Chestang: 50.90% (225)
• John Mosely Jr. 49.1% (217)

9:20 p.m.

Biloxi final results:

• Biloxi councilman George Lawrence squeaks by over Keith Anderson, 275-264.
• Councilman Paul Tisdale reelected in Ward 5, 238-61 over Sugar Stallings.
• Councilman Felix Gines wins big in Ward 2, 238-66, to win third term.

In Diamondhead, results for Councilman at Large: (D) James Hightower 764 votes and (R) Gerard Maher 1,541 votes.

9 p.m.

Republican Billy Hewes has secured a third term as mayor of Gulfport, the state’s second-largest city, with 2,628 votes to 1,478 votes for Democrat Howard Page.

D’Iberville final results:

• Incumbent Councilman Craig “Boots” Diaz-R, wins 216-97 over Independent Crystal Wingo.
• Councilman at Large Joey Bosarge wins another term with 382 votes to Quentin Lyles with 113.

8:50 p.m.

In Diamondhead, voters rejected two referendums to consolidate the fire, water and sewer districts under city services. John Kirschenbaum, Chairman of the Diamondhead Water & Sewer District Board, said in a statement the city had “a larger voter turnout.”

Of seven council members in Gulfport, all have been re-elected except Cara Pucheu, who lost the Republican primary to challenger Richard Kosloski.

For Bay St. Louis Council Ward 2, Republican Gene Hoffman narrowly defeated Democrat Wendy McDonald 188-184.

8:40 p.m.

Jennifer Burgess will represent Ward 1 on the Ocean Springs Board of Aldermen according to unofficial results. During the last term, the board was all-male.

In other Gautier races, Charles Rusty Anderson won the Ward 4 council seat, getting 297 votes. His challenger, independent Wayne Golder, got 162 votes.

8:35 p.m.

In a bid for his third term, Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes has edged decisively ahead of community organizer Howard Page: 2,288 to 1,304. Only 2 precincts are out.

Final count in D’Iberville — Councilman-at-Large Joey Bosarge wins another term with 382 votes to Quentin Lyles with 113.

8:25 p.m.

In Gautier, Casey Vaughn has defeated incumbent Phil Torjusen to become the next mayor. The vote was 53% to 47%.

With only 3 precincts still to be counted in Gulfport, incumbent Mayor Billy Hewes leads community organizer Howard Page with 2,264 votes to 1,233.

Very close race in Moss Point’s Ward 5 Alderman race. Willie Chestang (D) has 211 votes to 212 for John Mosely Jr. (I) It will be decided by the 19 absentee ballots election workers are counting now, and possibly by a handful of ballots that could come in over the next five days.

8:15 p.m.

Democrat Billy Knight has won the mayoral race in Moss Point with 1,827 votes. Independent Howard Bailey got 321 votes and Republican Richard McBride got 90 votes.

In Gulfport, It appears incumbent Councilman Myles Sharp has defeated challenger Bajon Williams in the Ward 5 race, 199 to 151.

D’Iberville results show councilmen Joey Bosarge and Craig “Boots” Diaz are re-elected.

In Biloxi, incumbent councilman George Lawrence leads challenger Keith Anderson by 8 votes in Ward 1.

8:10 p.m.

Incumbent Ron Roland has won the Gulfport council race in Ward 2, beating Patrice Lombard with 662 votes to 456.

Pass Christian final results:

• Republican Jimmy Rafferty easily won the mayoral race with 966 votes. Independent Zenas Cappie is second with 220 votes and Democrat Peggy Norman Johnson is 3rd with 103 votes.
• Independent Betty Sparkman has beaten incumbent James ‘Buddy’ Clarke in Pass Christian Ward 1. Sparkman received 259 votes and Buddy Clark had 192.
• In Ward 3, Kirk Kimball has topped Anthony Hall 222 votes to 133.

8 p.m.

With 4 of 19 precincts reporting in Gulfport, Democratic challenger Howard Page is leading incumbent Republican Billy Hewes in the mayor’s race, 259 to 227.

With 2 of 3 precincts reporting in Gulfport’s Ward 2, incumbent Councilman Ron Roland is leading over Patrice Lombard, 414 to 330.

Low turnout by mid-day

Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson, a Pascagoula native, said in his mid-day update that he’s noticed a “less than ideal voter turnout.”

He also said calls about election-day issues have been “steady” to the state hotline (601-576-2550 or 1-800-829-6786).

“I’m proud of the commitment shown by our team as we’ll have poll observers from our office in close to 60 cities today, making sure our election laws are being followed,” Watson said in a statement. “It’s important for Mississippians to know we’re doing all we can to ensure safe, fair, clean, and secure elections.”

Issues reported include:

• Absentee ballots not available for the full absentee voting period in a municipality;
• An absentee ballot box left unsealed for an undetermined amount of time;
• A Municipal Clerk not providing absentee ballot applications;
• Voters being barred from a polling place for not wearing a mask;
• Violations of election laws

This story was originally published June 8, 2021 at 7:09 PM.