Mayors retain seats, ‘mass craziness’ in Gulfport on wild Coast election night
A municipal election season that has seen incumbents tossed and national figures flocking to the Mississippi Coast hit the finish line Tuesday with all three incumbent mayors up for reelection retaining their seats.
And in the race of the night, Republican Hugh Keating and his supporters overcame Democrat Sonya Williams Barnes and ‘mass craziness’ to capture the open Gulfport mayor’s chair.
All results are unofficial until certified by the state, and new four-year terms begin on July 1.
‘Mass craziness’ in Gulfport
Voters were being told Tuesday on Facebook that they could vote in the Gulfport’s municipal election even if they lived in Harrison County.
More than one Facebook user told people they could get in line to vote by affidavit ballot if they lived in the county and were not on the city’s list of registered voters.
Affidavit ballots are cast on paper, sealed and later checked so that the voter’s eligibility can be verified before their vote is counted. If the voter is not registered to vote in Gulfport, their ballot will not be counted.
County Circuit Clerk Justin Wetzel got wind of the Facebook instructions and stopped by the Lyman precinct on his way home late Tuesday afternoon. He had stopped by the precinct before lunch and voting seemed normal, with a short line for affidavit ballots.
But the line was 40 to 50 voters long in the afternoon, he said.
“It was mass craziness there,” he said.
The city posted a message on Facebook late in the day about the misinformation.
“To clarify,” the post said, “access to the polls will not be restricted, which means anyone who shows up to vote will be allowed to do so, either via the regular process (i.e., registered voters for the City of Gulfport) or by affidavit. However, if it is determined upon review of each affidavit ballot by the Municipal Election Commission that the voter is not a registered voter of the City of Gulfport, the ballot will be rejected.
Tuesday’s results
Bay St. Louis
Ward 2: Democrat Nancy Moynan has defeated Republican incumbent Eugene “Gene” Hoffman IV, according to unofficial results. Monyan claimed 240 votes (54.7%), compared to 199 for Hoffman (45.3%).
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Biloxi
Mayor: Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich cruised to another four years in office, winning with 2,630 votes (80.2%) to 461 (14.1%) for Andy Linville and 187 (5.7%) for Farren Santibanez.
Gilich has served as mayor since he won a special election in 2015 and said Tuesday night, “I’m humbled by the opportunity to serve another four-year term.”
His priority for the next four years is to “go fast,” he said, with projects on the horizon that will take the city to the next level and continue to add to the quality of life. Now he’ll work with four new council members, the biggest turnover since five new members were elected to the city council in 2013.
Ward 1: Unofficial results show Republican Wayne Gray rolling to victory, according to Biloxi election officials, defeating Democrat Corey Christy and Libertarian Stephan Santibanez. Gray captured 459 votes (56.9%), with Christy taking 334 votes (41.4%) and Santibanez 13 (1.6%).
Ward 2: Unofficial results show Democrat Anthony L. Marshall unseating Republican incumbent Felix O. Gines, capturing 282 votes (52%) to Gaines’ 175 (32.3%). Independent candidate Sonya C. White finished with 85 votes (15.7%).
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D’Iberville
Council At Large: Council At Large: Republican Incumbent Joey Bosarge has defeated a challenge from independent candidate Crystal Wingo. Bosarge won with 400 votes (53.1%), with Wingo collecting 354 votes (46.9%), according to unofficial returns.
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Gautier
Mayor: Casey Vaughan is headed for a second term, holding a huge lead in a challenge from former Republican Mayor Phil Torjusen. Vaughan has collected 1,757 votes (69.1%) while Torjusen, a real estate professional, lagged behind with 786 votes (30.9%), according to unofficial results.
Vaughan first became mayor when he defeated Torjusen in the race for mayor four years ago. In his second term, Vaughan intends to continue his push for additional development around The Sound Amphitheater and the Town Center.
In his acceptance speech Tuesday night, Vaughan thanked supporters. “This victory is not about one person,” he said. “It is about all of us. It is about a community that chose progress, that chose results, and that chose to keep our momentum moving forward.
“Over the last four years, we’ve laid the foundation for long-term growth: From major infrastructure improvements to new recreation opportunities, we’ve invested in the things that matter - public safety, economic development, and quality of life for every family in Gautier. We turned blighted property into opportunity. We stood up for families, for small businesses, and for a better quality of life. And now, we are just getting started.”
Before serving as mayor, Vaughan served two terms in the Ward 3 council seat.
Ward 4: Political newcomer Lorenzo L. Fuller Sr. has, unofficially, won the election in Ward 4, capturing 282 votes (54.8%). He and candidate Joshua “Josh” Ward, who finished with 233 votes (45.2%), ran for the seat vacated by incumbent Rusty Anderson.
Ward 5: Unofficial returns show Republican incumbent Dante Elbin leading with 304 votes (53.4%), and Independent Anthony K. Snow close behind with 265 votes (46.6%).
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Gulfport
Mayor: In the most heated race of the night, Hugh Keating has claimed victory.
Ward 2: Incumbent Republican Ron Roland won reelection, defeating Democrat Valerie Ewing with 1,554 votes, or 66.7% to her 776 votes, or 33.3%.
Ward 4: Incumbent Republican F.B. “Rusty” Walker IV defeated challenger Dalaney Lee Mecham, an independent. Walker received 1,370 votes, or 65.36%, with 726 votes, or 34.64%, for Mecham.
Ward 5: Republican B.J. Sellers, serving as an interim council member, defeated Democrat Craig Elliott Raybon with 1,486 votes, or 76.5%, to 456 votes for Raybon, or 23.5%.
Ward 6: Incumbent Republican R.Lee Flowers has lost his bid for reelection to Democrat Carrissa Corbett. Corbett received 1,006 votes, or 62.7%, while Flowers received 599 votes, or 37.3%. In conceding, Flowers said, in part, “I congratulate Carrissa Corbett on her win tonight. I wish her well because I live here too. Her success will bring Ward 6 success.”
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Moss Point
Mayor: Billy Knight, a Democrat, won his bid for a second term, capturing 1,006 votes (93.6%), compared to 69 votes (6.4%) for R. Richard McBride, who was the only Republican to run for election in Moss Point this year.
“I recognize right up front that I don’t do all this work by myself,” he said. “I just want to finish the work we started.”
Knight was challenged during his first term when a tornado tore down the main street in town in 2023. With most of that damage cleaned up, he hopes to begin work in September on a service road that will connect from highways 613 to 63, on the south side of the interstate, to help alleviate traffic. When the south side is done, the city will do the same on the north side of the interstate, he said, adding water and other utilities. “It will open up both sides for development,” he said.
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Ocean Springs
Alderman At Large: Republican Matthew Hinton captured 1,659 votes (66.1%) on his way to defeating independent candidate Oren Zweig, who received 850 votes (33.9%), according to unofficial results.
Ward 1: Unofficial totals show Republican Steve Tillis defeating Independent Greg Gipson. Tillis captured 280 votes (59.8%), while Gipson finished with 188 (40.2).
Ward 5: Incumbent Robert Blackman defeated Independent challenger James E. Lewis, according to unofficial totals. Blackman finished with 273 votes (57.2%); while Lewis had 204 (42.8%).
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Pascagoula
Ward 1: The race in Ward 1 went down to the wire. Independent candidate Carlos R. Stallworth Sr. defeated Democrat Michael Rodgers, according to unofficial totals. Stallworth finished with 61 votes, while Rodgers had 58.
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Pass Christian
Ward 1: Republican Barry Dreyfus has defeated Independent incumbent Betty Sparkman. With 100% of precincts reporting, Dreyfus has 200 votes (90.5%), compared to 21 for Sparkman (9.5%). Sparkman withdrew from the race in May. The city said her name still appeared on ballots because they were printed before her withdrawal.
Ward 2: Independent candidate Joseph Piernas has unseated Democrat incumbent Regina Charlot. With 100% of precincts reporting, Piernas received 126 votes (58.6%), compared to 89 for Charlot (41.4%). Three absentee ballots remain unaccounted for.
“I feel like I have some more to give. This is my second time being back on the board, so I feel like I have enough to give to help move this town forward,” Piernas said.
Anita Lee, Mary Perez and Margaret Baker contributed reporting.
This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 6:59 AM.