OXFORD â¢Â As litigation over unclear residency requirements awaits a ruling from the stateâs highest court, Oxfordâs election commission on Tuesday night certified a candidate for June s general election despite previous eligibility concerns.
The commission voted this week to certify Afton Thomas, the Democratic candidate for the boardâs Ward 2 seat.
Commissioners previously questioned whether she should appear on the ballot because she had not lived in the ward sheâs hoping to represent for at least two years. A recent opinion from Attorney General Lynn Fitch s office states that a 2019 election law requires candidates for municipal office to live in both the ward and municipality they wish to represent for at least that amount of time.
OXFORD
⢠Around 12 people have qualified to run for a seat on the Oxford Board of Aldermen, but with only one mayoral candidate right now. Two of cityâs incumbent aldermen, Janice Antonow and Rick Addy, have said they do not intend to run for reelection this year.
In Oxfordâs Ward 1 seat, three people have qualified for the race so far. Harry Alexander, a realtor, qualified to run as an independent candidate. Erin Smith, the executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates, and Billy Crews, a development officer for the school of education at the University of Mississippi, both qualified to run Democrats.