Despite a strong showing in Lincoln County, Fifteenth DistrictChancery Court Judge Ed Patten, Jr. lost to state Rep. VirginiaCarlton in his bid to capture a seat on the Court of Appeals.

Carlton captured 20,852 votes, or 54 percent, across thedistrict to outdistance Patten’s total of 17,791 votes, or 46percent. The Appeals Court district includes parts of Hinds andJones counties; and all of 13 other counties: Adams, Amite, Copiah,Covington, Franklin, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion,Pike, Simpson, Walthall and Wilkinson.

Patten acknowledged his defeat graciously Wednesday morning. Hecredited Carlton with running a clean campaign that focusedattention on the merits and experience of the candidates.

“Ours was a hard-fought race,” he said. “It is satisfying to beable to look back and know a campaign was run with professionalismand integrity. I wish Rep. Carlton luck with her new endeavor.”

The race for Court of Appeals was the only item on the LincolnCounty ballot Tuesday. Patten, of Hazlehurst, received 74.83percent of the vote in Lincoln County. Carlton, of Columbia,trailed on the local ticket by a margin of 1,819 to 612 votes incomplete but unofficial totals.

Patten was unopposed in his bid to reclaim the chancery courtposition in the general election Nov. 7. He said he looked forwardto his third term as chancery judge.

“I’m very happy in my role as chancery judge and hope to servethe people of Lincoln and Copiah counties for a long time,” hesaid.

A special election will be scheduled to fill Carlton’slegislative seat. The representative, a former assistant districtattorney and lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves, was servingher first term in the Mississippi House.

The Court of Appeals vacancy came when Judge Leslie Southwickchose not to seek re-election. Southwick had held the office sincethe Court of Appeals was founded in 1994. He has been nominated tobecome a federal judge in Jackson.

Voter turnout here was dismal, said Circuit Clerk Terry LynnWatkins. Less than 2,500 of Lincoln County’s nearly 26,000registered voters, or 9.35 percent, visited the pollingprecinct.

“It was a bad week for a runoff election with the holiday andschools out,” she said.

In addition, the Court of Appeals race is not considered by manyvoters to be a local race – so interest was low, Watkins said.Tuesday’s election had only 16 absentee and 11 affidavitballots.

In other area runoff results, Lawrence County’s ballot alsofeatured a runoff election between Prentiss Harrell and ForrestDantin to sit on the bench in the 15th Circuit Court District inPlace 2.

Harrell will take the bench after defeating Dantin on a 9,495 to8,090 vote districtwide.

Harrell is a Lamar County attorney who represents the city ofHattiesburg while Dantin has served as Columbia’s municipal judgefor the past 17 years.

The 15th Circuit Court districts covers Jefferson Davis, Lamar,Lawrence, Marion and Pearl River counties.