Mapping The Treasurer’s Runoff

With Lynn Fitch and Lee Yancey set to meet in a runoff two weeks from today, here is a look at how they did a week ago in key counties, and a look at other runoffs that may impact them.

The biggest runoffs likely for the GOP will be the two metro area Senate seats. SD 25 consists of South Madison and Northeast Jackson while SD 20 is considered a Rankin district, but also includes parts of Madison. The primary will decide those next two Senators and interest is and will be high. Furthermore, there are countywide runoffs in both Madison and Rankin, where again, the primary is the general election.

I was somewhat surprised to see Yancey, a Rankin county state senator, win just 41 percent in his home county. But with the senate runoff being for his former seat, you may see higher rate of return voters from his home district compared to the county as a whole.

Fitch won Madison and Hinds rather easily. She is from Madison and was at 47 percent there, she was also at 47 percent in Hinds. In both cases, Yancey was about even with Lucien Smith so he starts out about 20 points behind Fitch.

Two other central Mississippi counties that are smaller but have legislative runoffs are Lincoln and Simpson. Fitch won them both, and even won an impressive 50 percent in Simpson.

No legislative, but county level runoffs in key North and East Mississippi counties. In Desoto, Fitch and Yancey were literally less than 10 votes apart. Obviously that will be a key battleground as it usually is. Yancey was very strong in Lee with 52 percent compared to 17 percent for Fitch. Lee also won in Lowndes and Lauderdale county, and outperformed Fitch by about 15-20 points in each.

In the Pine Belt, Fitch was strongest in Forrest, while the two were about even in Lamar and Jones. No legislative runoffs here either.

We will have legislative runoffs in several key South Mississippi counties. Hancock and Harrison voters both head back to the polls. Interestingly, Fitch was at 39 in both, while Yancey was at 29 and 30, respectively. Also on the Coast, Yancey narrowly carried Jackson, but by only 200 votes over Fitch.

Another interesting county to follow will be Pearl River. Smith won the county with 40 percent of the vote. Yancey and Fitch were about even in it. And Marion, where Fitch ran about 20 points ahead of Yancey, will also feature a legislative runoff.