Wanting to ensure that the process was fair and that no stones were left unturned or no votes uncounted, Hinds County’s longest serving supervisor George Smith conceded to defeat Tuesday, Aug. 16, after it became apparent that long time Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes had garnered enough votes in the Aug. 2 Democratic Primary race to be declared the winner.
The final certified election results show Stokes with 3,314 votes to Smith’s 3,097 votes.
Stokes has run against Smith every four years since 1995 in hotly contested races with Smith edging out close wins after election challenges each time from Stokes.
But in his fifth try, Stokes prevailed. Stokes has said he will resign from his city council post.
Smith, who has served as a supervisor for District 5 for the last three decades, said he enjoyed serving the citizens of Hinds County.
“I feel I’ve done Hinds County well, and the people in this county have done well by me, “ Smith said.
Smith currently serves as the president of the board and is a former officer with the Mississippi Association of Supervisors.
Stokes will take the $45,699.96 a-year post in January and has said getting swimming pools in Hinds County and pushing the work on Hwy 80 through would be top priorities for him. “It makes no sense not to have a public swimming pool in areas outside Jackson’s city limits,” Stokes said. “The county and the city must work together.”
Stokes will depend on his years of service with the city to forge those relationships.
“I know the ends and outs of this city and I know how to build relationships…so you will see that happening once I start serving on the board,” he said. “That is a must…we must work together, when we do, everyone wins.”
There were no Republican or independent challengers for the post in November.
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