Canton runoff election set for Tuesday

Canton voters will return to the polls next week for runoff elections in the Democrat Party primaries.

The runoff elections will be held on April 22.

In Canton, three races are headed to a runoff. Canton is the only municipality in the county that will host a runoff for the municipal primaries.

The mayor’s race will head to a runoff between Comelia Walker and sitting Alderman Tim Taylor. Walker took the most votes with 1,202 or 47.85 percent based on complete but unofficial returns from April 1. Taylor was close behind with 971 votes. His total came in at 38.65 percent of the votes cast.

Daphne Johnson-Sims received the least votes and was eliminated from the race.

The winner will face Chip Matthews, who is on the Republican ticket, and Walter Peeples and Daniel Spivey, who are running as Independents in the general election slated for June 3.

The Ward 4 Democrat primary race will head to a runoff between Incumbent Markee Blount and challenger Cynthia Allen. Candidates Victor Hughes and Crystal Luckett have been eliminated from the race. Allen received the most votes with 133, totaling just 36.84 percent of the votes cast. Blount came in a close second with 30.75 percent receiving 111 votes.

Janice Diamond and Laura Elaine Blair will vie for the Ward 5 seat vacated by Tim Taylor in a runoff.

Diamond took the majority of votes in this race 139 totaling 37.87 percent.

Blair came in a close second with 135 votes or 36.78 percent

Barbara Brown and Fredrick Mayfield were eliminated from the race.