Jackson Free Press

Only 8 percent of registered voters participated in yesterday's local Democratic runoff elections.

With such low participation, it undoubtedly helped community activist Kathy Sykes, who had wide support among progressive grassroots groups and fellow activists. It's also a majority black district. Sykes is African American; her opponent, attorney, Sam Begley is white. In unofficial county results, Sykes defeated Begley with 54 percent of votes to Begley's 46 percent. Begley wrote on Facebook last night saaying while he appeated to "come up short," he has a responsibility to his supporters to canvass the boxes to "confirm the correct result." The winner of that contest will face Republican Pete Perry in November.

Meanwhile, another community activist, David Archie had less success in his bid for Hinds County Board of Supervisors against incumbent Darrel McQuirter. Before the runoff, McQuirter seemed vulnerable considering that on Aug. 4, he won 44 percent of the votes against Archie and former Supervisor Al Hunter, both of whom have battled McQuirter in past elections. It seemed conceivable that Hunter's supporters would prefer Archie, but in the end McQuirter received 57 percent of votes.

The other Hinds County supervisors' runoff ended with Bobcat McGowan, a county employee, defeating Eric Stringfellow, a public-relations professional and former Clarion-Ledger columnist. McGowan seemed to have solid backing among some local black talk-radio talking heads, but didn't do media interviews, including with the JFP.

Finally, http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2015/aug/24/coleman-amos-head-transportation-commission-democr/">Hinds County race of interest, veteran legislator Rep. Mary Coleman defeated Robert Amos for central-district rep to the Mississippi Transportation Commission.

Here are the totals for Hinds County from the county's website:

      TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER
      (VOTE FOR)  1
          (WITH 110 OF 113 PRECINCTS COUNTED 97.35%)
       Robert Amos.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     2,274   20.80
       Mary H. Coleman  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     8,614   78.80
       WRITE-IN.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        44     .40

      HOUSE DISTRICT 70
      (VOTE FOR)  1
          (WITH 17 OF 18 PRECINCTS COUNTED 94.44%)
       Samuel Lee Begley.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       953   46.02
       Kathy Sykes.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     1,114   53.79
       WRITE-IN.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         4     .19

      SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 2
      (VOTE FOR)  1
          (WITH 29 OF 29 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
       David L. Archie  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     2,001   42.64
       Darrel McQuirter .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     2,688   57.28
       WRITE-IN.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         4     .09

      SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 5
      (VOTE FOR)  1
          (WITH 26 OF 27 PRECINCTS COUNTED 96.30%)
       Bobby "Bobcat" McGowan .  .  .  .  .  .     1,221   53.93
       Eric Stringfellow.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     1,035   45.72
       WRITE-IN.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         8     .35