Mississippi House District 87 seat for Forrest, Lamar could be decided in a runoff

Joseph "Bubba" Tubb and Matthew Conoly may end up facing each other in a runoff if neither reaches the required 50% plus one vote to win a special election for House District 87.

Preliminary totals released Tuesday by the Associated Press show Tubb, with 3,677 votes or 46%, had a slight lead over Conoly, who garnered 3,035 votes or 38%. David Morgan, who also ran, was eliminated from the race with 1,331 votes or 17%.

However, with thousands of absentee and affidavit ballots still being counted Thursday, it is unclear where the race is headed.

If it goes to a runoff, it will be held Nov. 24.

The three men were in a race to fill the seat vacated in March by Republican Billy Andrews of Purvis. District 87 represents Forrest and Lamar counties.

The candidates ran as independents, which precluded setting primary races in their respective parties. 

Tubb, 57, of Lamar County, is a Republican. He lost to Andrews in the 2019 Republican primary. He has no prior political experience. Tubb, a father of two, works in commercial real estate with Cook Commercial Properties. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business with a minor in marketing from Mississippi College.

Conoly, 39, a conservative who will "caucus with Republicans," lives in the Hattiesburg area with his wife and two children. He is a longtime teacher who has worked in Forrest County and Hattiesburg schools. Conoly earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master’s degree in education from William Carey University.

Morgan, 49, of Hattiesburg, was arrested by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and charged with cyberstalking on Aug. 31. He was arrested again a month later and charged with witness tampering. Morgan is a former law enforcement officer and lifelong resident of the Hattiesburg area. He is married with two children.

According to Mississippi law, candidates and elected officials may seek or take office if charged with a crime. However, if convicted of a felony, the person would no longer be eligible to serve.

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In April, Gov. Tate Reeves set the special election to coincide with the Nov. 3 presidential election. 

Andrews had won in the November 2019 election but resigned just three months after taking office in January over the issue of whether state elected officials can receive salaries and pension benefits simultaneously.

Contact Lici Beveridge at 601-584-3104 or lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.