Primary election is today on MS Coast. Here’s who is running for mayor and council
Voters will have multiple candidates to choose from for mayor and other offices in most South Mississippi cities, while other candidates are running unopposed in the April 1 municipal primary election.
Independent and Libertarian candidates will not appear on the Primary Election ballots. They will face the primary winners in the general election on June 3.
These are the candidates:
Bay St. Louis
Mayor:
Mike Favre (R), Incumbent
Gary Knoblock (R)
Council At Large:
Tad Black (R)
Lonnie J. Falgout (R)
Greg Loftin (R)
Larry Smith (R)
Ward 1: Jordan Bradford III (R)
Ward 2:
Eugene “Gene” Hoffman IV (R), Incumbent
Nancy Moynan (D)
Ward 3: Phalba C. Holmes (D)
Ward 4:
Kyle Lewis (R), Incumbent
Jimmy Osbourn (R)
Ward 5:
Linda Kay Davis (R), Incumbent
Kathleen Hughes (R)
Ward 6:
Josh DeSalvo (R) Incumbent
Tami Curtis Guy (R)
Biloxi
Mayor:
A.M. “FoFo” Gilich (R), Incumbent
Jordan N. Gollub (R)
Andy Linville (I)
Farren Santibanez (L)
Ward 1:
Corey Christy (D)
Edward “Ed” Gemmill (R)
Wayne Gray (R)
Godfrey M. Meyer (R)
Stephan Santibanez (L)
Ward 2:
Felix O. Gines (R), Incumbent
Anthony L. Marshall (D)
Tracey D. Smith (D)
Sonya C. White (I)
Ward 3:
Robert “Mike” Nail (R)
Eric C. Nelson (R)
Dixie Newman (R), Incumbent
Ernest L. Ulrich Jr. (R)
Ward 4:
Jamie Creel (R)
Rodney McGilvary (R), Incumbent
Ward 5: Paul Tisdale (R), Incumbent
Ward 6: Kenny J. Glavan Sr. (R), Incumbent
Ward 7: David Shoemaker (R), Incumbent
D’Iberville
Mayor: Rusty Quave (R), Incumbent
Ward 1: Randall Pelous (R), Incumbent
Ward 2: Carrie Taranto-Chipley(R), Incumbent
Ward 3:
Craig “Boots” Diaz (R), Incumbent
Chad Hebert (R)
Ward 4: Gerald Burdine, (R), Incumbent
At-Large:
Joey Bosarge, (R), Incumbent
Crystal Wingo (I)
Diamondhead
Mayor:
Heidi Boyanton (R)
Anna DeMarco Liese (R), currently Ward 2 council
At-Large:
Gerard Maher (R), Incumbent
Joel Salsbury (R)
Ward 1:
Cle Collins (R)
Michael J. Fandal (R)
Shane Finley (R), Incumbent
Ward 2:
Michael Meister (R)
Richard “Ricky” Sheppard (R)
Ward 3:
Jessie Harwood (R)
Leo Marino (R)
Ward 4:
Kim Buckman (R)
Austin Clark (R), Incumbent
Gautier
Mayor
Casey Vaughan (I), Incumbent
Phil Torjusen (R), the former mayor
Council at Large:
Adam Colledge (R), Incumbent
James “Eric” Minor (R)
Ward 1: Cameron B. George (R), Incumbent
Ward 2: Richard “DJ” Jackson (D), Incumbent
Ward 3:
Kay C. Jamison (R)
Curtis Cleek (R)
Ward 4:
Lorenzo L. Fuller Sr. (I)
Joshua N. “Josh” Ward (I)
Ward 5:
Dante L. Elbin (R), Incumbent
Anthony K. Snow (I)
Gulfport
Mayor:
Ronald “Ronnie” Henderson (D)
Sonya Williams Barnes (D)
Hugh Keating (R)
Council Ward 1:
Teresa Youngblood (D)
Kenneth “Truck” Casey Sr. (D), Incumbent
Leonard C. Bennett (D)
Kendal Lamar Buckner (D)
Ward 2:
Kevin Alford (R)
Ron P Roland (R), Incumbent
Valerie Ewing (D)
John Jones Jr (R)
Howard Page (D)
Ward 3:
Ella Holmes-Hines (D), Incumbent
Patrick White (D)
Ronnie Matthew Harris (D)
Ward 4:
FB “Rusty” Walker (R), Incumbent
Dalaney Lee Mecham (I)
Ward 5:
Holly Gibbs (R)
Craig Elliott Raybon (D)
Don Harden (R)
Derek Bullock (R)
BJ Sellers (R)
Ward 6:
Bajon Williams (D)
Carrissa Corbett ( D)
Robert “R.Lee” Flowers ( R), incumbent
Eddie Walley (R)
Ward 7:
Richard Kosloski (R), Incumbent
Johnny Hoggatt (R)
Long Beach
Mayor:
Raymond DeFlaviis (R)
Larus “Wheelchair Larry” Gunnarsson (R)
Tim Pierce (R)
Glen Powell (R)
Alderman at Large: Donald Frazer (R), Incumbent
Ward 1: Patrick Bennett (R), Incumbent
Ward 2:
Jesse Allen (R)
Bernie D. Parker (R), Incumbent
Ward 3:
Joseph “Joey” Giuffria (R)
Angela “Angie” Johnson (R), Incumbent
Erika Long (R)
Ward 4:
Thomas “Skip” Elsworth (R)
Timothy McCaffrey Jr. (R), Incumbent
Ward 5:
Greg Bonds (R)
Barbara D. Kimball (R)
Clifford Yeoman (R)
Mike Bohlke withdrew from the race, but after ballots were printed.
Ward 6: Peter L. McGoey III (R), Incumbent
Moss Point
Mayor:
Billy E. Knight Sr. (D), Incumbent
Richard McBride (R). There is no Republican primary in the city. He will run in the general election on June 3.
Gerald H. McGee (D)
Alderman at Large:
Howard Bailey (D)
David E. Chapman Sr. (D), Incumbent
Ward 1:
Sherwood Bradford Sr. (D)
Houston Cunningham (D), Incumbent
Rodger L. Mann (D)
Ward 2: Darius Wilson (D), Incumbent
Ward 3:
Timothy M. DuBose (D), Incumbent
Jaylon M. Johnson (D)
Blair Means (D)
Ward 4
Victor J. Bovastro (D)
Albert Long Jr. (D)
Ward 5: Willie “Coach” Chestang (D), Incumbent
Ward 6:
Gary Wayne Lennep (I), Incumbent. (Independent candidates are not on the primary ballot.)
Ocean Springs
Mayor
John K. “Kenny” Holloway (R), Incumbent
Robert E. “Bobby” Cox Jr. (R), currently alderman at large
Jon E. Hitchcock (R)
Dennis G. McGrevey (R)
Alderman at large:
Ronald P. Chambers (R)
Matthew C. Hinton Sr. (R)
Daniel E. “Dan” Mobley (R)
Adam Wilkerson (R)
Oren Zweig (I). Will be on the ballot in general election
Ward 1:
Jennifer L. Burgess (R), Incumbent
Steve B. Tillis (R)
Gregory A. “Greg” Gipson (I). Will be on the ballot in general election.
Ward 2:
Richard J. Authement (R), Incumbent
Karen C. Stennis (R)
Ward 3: Kevin M. Wade (R), Incumbent
Ward 4:
Jerry T. Munro (R)
Shannon Grace Pfeiffer (R)
Ward 5:
Robert B. “Rob” Blackman (R), Incumbent
James E. Lewis (I). Will be on the ballot in general election
Ward 6:
Michael L. Impey II (R), Incumbent
Julie Messenger (R)
Pascagoula
Mayor:
Jay Willis (R), Incumbent
David Bates (R)
Council at Large:
Amy Brandenstein (R)
Ward 1:
Carlos R. Stallworth Sr. (I)
Michael Rodgers (D)
The two will face off in general election.
Ward 2: Felix “FeFe” Fornett (D), Incumbent
Ward 3:
Rick Merrill recently was appointed to the council after the death of incumbent Johnny Walker.
Merrill will run in the primary election as a “write-in” vote.
Ward 4: Matt Parker (R), Incumbent
Ward 5: Chris Blythe (R), Incumbent
Pass Christian
Mayor:
Jimmy Rafferty, (R), incumbent
Kenny Torgeson (R), currently Alderman at Large
Ward 1:
Barry Dreyfus (R)
Betty Sparkman (I), incumbent
Ward 2:
Regina Charlot (D), incumbent
Joseph Piernas (I)
Ward 3: Kirk Kimball (R), incumbent
Ward 4: Greg Frederico (R)
Alderman at Large:
Scott Naugle (R)
Victor Pickich (R), currently Ward 4 alderman
Waveland
The city follows a different election calendar and isn’t holding a municipal election this year.
For more information on the election process, go to the Secretary of State’s Y’all Vote website, which includes an absentee voting FAQ, or contact the municipal clerk in each city.
This story was originally published January 31, 2025 at 11:37 AM.
