In some of the small towns, there are no party municipal executive committees, which are required to conduct party primaries. So it’s a one-round election in those towns, with all the candidates running in the general election (June 2).

In Jackson’s 1997 mayor’s race, several black independents qualified to run. After Harvey Johnson beat Mayor Kane Ditto in the Democratic primary, those independents dropped out.

Two of this year’s independent candidates– Charlotte Reeves and Rick Whitlow– are past Republican nominees for mayor.

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So there’s no runoff in the general election? I think there’s one or two legit candidates who are running as Independents, but there are just too many people who will check off the candidate with the D next to their name.

I’ve thought all along that Melton would make it to a runoff, against probably either Horhn, Crisler, or Harvey Johnson. For some reason, I feel like with each passing day, Melton might not make it.

It will be interesting to see whether all four of the independents stay in the race. If so, it will be possible for the next mayor to be elected on June 2 with less than 17 percent of the vote.

John Horhn and Marshand Crisler each evidently sees the other as his chief competitor for a spot in the May 19 Democratic runoff… which is why they are taking shots at each other.