It was a landslide victory. See who won in Petal's Ward 2 alderman race

In a landslide victory, Kim Stringer won the Ward 2 Petal alderman seat in Thursday's special election.

She is the wife of former Petal Alderman Steve Stringer, who left the office after he was elected to the Forrest County Board of Supervisors. He had served Ward 2 as alderman since July 2001.

In the unofficial results, Stringer received 101 of the 190 votes — roughly 53%, surpassing the 50%-plus-one majority needed for the win. Five affidavits and one absentee ballot still need to be counted before the results are certified.

Kim Stringer is the newly elected Ward 2 alderwoman for the city of Petal. She won in a four-person special election Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, to fill the remainder of her husband Steve Stringer's term, which ends June 30, 2024.
Kim Stringer is the newly elected Ward 2 alderwoman for the city of Petal. She won in a four-person special election Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, to fill the remainder of her husband Steve Stringer's term, which ends June 30, 2024.

"I was excited to win because my husband held this position for 23 years," she said. "I feel like in a way we served together for all those years."

Four candidates qualified for the race. The other candidates split the remaining 89 votes. Bethanie Carlisle received 49 votes, Patricia Merritt gained 32 and Kimberly Molina had eight.

Kim Stringer is expected to be sworn in before Tuesday's regular Board of Aldermen meeting. She will fill the remainder of her husband's term, which ends June 30, 2025.

Stringer said she is looking forward to serving her community, just like her husband did before her.

"I want to serve the citizens of Ward 2," she said. "I want them to feel like I'm serving them just like he did. I want them to be able to come to me with their concerns and know that they'll be taken care of just like when they went to him.

"I feel like he did a really good job, and I want them to know I will do the same thing. I'll take their concerns just like they are my own."

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This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Kim Stringer wins special election for Petal MS Ward 2 alderman