4 November 2026
COLLINS, MS – Covington County voters will go back to the polls Dec. 1 to pick a new District 2 supervisor. None of the eight candidates in Tuesday’s special election won a majority of the vote, so the top two will meet in a runoff.
Gary Deen finished first with 24.8% of the vote, and Robert Aultman was second with 23.7%, according to unofficial results reported Tuesday night by WDAM. The station reported that 18 affidavit ballots were still to be counted but would not change which two candidates advance.
The short answer: Deen and Aultman face each other again on Tuesday, Dec. 1. The winner will fill the District 2 seat on the Covington County Board of Supervisors, which has been open since longtime Supervisor John Holifield died in May. The results so far are unofficial until the county finishes its count and certifies the vote.
Who was on the ballot?
Eight people qualified for the special election. They were Phillip Anderson, Robert Aultman, Gary Deen, Shawn Ducksworth, Linwood Eavenson, Marlon Ellzey, Dean Estes and Gavin Herrin, according to WDAM’s Oct. 6 report on the race. WDAM’s candidate list labeled all eight as nonpartisan.
With that many names on the ballot, the vote split several ways. Deen and Aultman were the only two candidates named with vote shares in the station’s results report. Together they drew less than half of the votes cast. The percentages for the other six candidates, raw vote totals and turnout had not been posted publicly as of early Wednesday. Pine Belt Guide is seeking the full precinct results from the Covington County Circuit Clerk’s office.
Election officials said before the vote that the crowded field was a good sign. “That lets me know there is interest out there and people really want the position,” Election Commission Chair Dorothy Magee told WDAM in October.
District 2 Election Commissioner Lesia Taormina said the same thing in a different way. “We have a lot of good candidates, I feel like, running from all walks of life,” she told the station.
Why is there a special election?
The seat opened when Holifield, who had represented District 2 for years, died last May, according to WDAM. Since then, Jimmie Baggett has been filling the seat. Baggett is a former Covington County chancery clerk and justice court judge. WDAM reported that he “has been serving in Holifield’s seat until a new supervisor is elected.”
Baggett has taken part in board business during that time. At the board’s Oct. 20 meeting, he spoke in favor of replacing the county’s aging outdoor warning sirens, a project that emergency management officials said could cost up to $250,000. Pine Belt Guide reported on that discussion last month. Whoever wins the runoff is expected to take part in that decision and others like it.
The county’s own website still lists Holifield as the District 2 supervisor.
What does a county supervisor do?
Mississippi counties are run by a five-member board of supervisors. Each supervisor is elected from a district. The board sets the county budget and tax rate, oversees county roads and bridges, and approves spending on things like emergency equipment and county buildings. In many counties, supervisors also play a direct role in road work within their own districts.
The Covington County board meets on the first Monday of each month at 10 a.m. in the Chancery Building in Collins, according to the county’s website.
What happens between now and Dec. 1?
First, the county will finish counting ballots. That includes the 18 affidavit ballots WDAM reported. Statewide, voters who cast affidavit ballots on Tuesday have five business days to go to their circuit clerk’s office to verify their ballot, WDAM reported. After that, the county will certify the results.
Then the runoff campaign begins. It will be a short one, at about four weeks. Only voters who live in District 2 can vote in the runoff.
WDAM has reported the Dec. 1 runoff date twice, in its October preview and its results story. Pine Belt Guide is seeking confirmation of the date, absentee voting hours and polling places from the Covington County Circuit Clerk’s office and the county Election Commission.
What else was on the Covington County ballot?
District 2 voters also cast ballots in statewide and regional races. That includes Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race between Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom, which was still too close to call early Wednesday. At 3 a.m., with about 96% of the expected vote counted, Colom led by 43 votes out of more than 925,000 cast for the two, according to unofficial totals reported by WLOX. Covington County’s own totals in that race had not been posted.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Covington County District 2 runoff?
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026, according to WDAM. Pine Belt Guide is seeking confirmation from county election officials.
Who is in the runoff?
Gary Deen and Robert Aultman, the top two finishers among eight candidates.
Are the results final?
No. They are unofficial until the county counts all ballots and certifies the results.
Who represents District 2 right now?
Jimmie Baggett, who has been filling the seat since Supervisor John Holifield died in May, according to WDAM.
Who can vote in the runoff?
Registered voters who live in Covington County’s supervisor District 2.