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NATCHEZ — In a surprising upset, Natchez attorney and former assistant district attorney Tim Cotton has won election to the job of District Attorney for the state’s sixth judicial district.

The sixth district includes Adams, Wilkinson, Franklin and Amite counties.

Cotton defeated current District Attorney Shameca Collins, who was seeking election to a second term.

With more than 1,200 absentee ballots to be counted in Adams County, Cotton led the voting with 10,248 votes to Collins’ 8,897.

These votes included the following reported but unofficial results:

Wilkinson County: Collins: 1,937 votes; Cotton: 1,025 votes; 60 affidavits and 240  absentees
Franklin County: Collins: 1,084; Cotton: 2,019; Write-in: 5; 27 affidavits.
Adams County: Collins, 4,036; Cotton: 4, 084; With 1,050 absentee ballots.
Amite County: Collins: 1,840; Cotton: 3,120

“Ms. Collins texted me congratulations,” Cotton said. “Ms. Collins and I ran on two different platforms, neither of which made either of us bad people. We both ran a clean and professional campaign and I am proud of our campaign helpers for doing the same thing. With all the campaigns going on, I think both of us exercised a lot of dignity as professionals and I respect her for her public service.”

Cotton said he fully understands the responsibilities of the job of District Attorney, “and there will be no grace period.

“I look forward to communicating with law enforcement. I look forward to sitting down with victims and I look forward to being responsive to the community and taking the district attorney’s office in a direction the community wants it to go,” he said.

“This office never is and never was about any one person. This is an office for the people and by the people. I am humbled and honored to be in a position to serve,” Cotton said.

Collins could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.