NATCHEZ &045; The race for the Democratic nomination for mayor came down to the wire Tuesday night, with state Rep. Phillip West edging out incumbent Mayor F.L. &uot;Hank&uot; Smith by 96 votes.

As of Tuesday’s unofficial results from the City Clerk’s Office, West had 2,994 votes, or 50.75 percent, to Smith’s 2,898 votes, or 49.12 percent.

Election commissioners will begin certifying vote totals today. And more than 100 affidavit ballots are still waiting to be counted.

After his speech to supporters gathered at the Old Brick House reception hall on Martin Luther King Jr. Street, West said he’s not concerned the vote could swing Smith’s way.

When it comes to affidavit ballots, West said, &uot;I believe we’ll get our share.&uot;

&uot;Do I wish it had not been as close? Yes. But this shows we did all we could to get the message out about my qualifications and vision.&uot;

Smith, meanwhile, was taking more of a wait-and-see approach. &uot;We’ll have to see how the count comes out (Wednesday),&uot; Smith said.

Meanwhile mayoral candidates Sue Stedman, a Republican, and Richard Branyan, an independent, followed election results to see who their opponent would be in the June 8 general election.

Both said they knew the runoff election would be extremely close.

&uot;I have most of (my strategy) planned out already, and I’ve done some advertising, but because of the other election, people weren’t following what I was doing,&uot; said Stedman, who followed the results at home via radio.

&uot;The real work starts tomorrow,&uot; she said.

Still, Branyan noted it could take commissioners days to certify the results. Whatever the outcome, he said, the general election &uot;is going to be interesting.&uot;

&uot;Normally after the democratic primary (the election)’s over and let’s just say, it not over,&uot; Branyan said. &uot;It will be a challenge to win in June.&uot;

On Tuesday night, West said in his speech &045; delivered by megaphone to the crowd &045; he believes God will continue to smile on his campaign and thanked his supporters for their efforts.

&uot;You believe in the person you’re trying to help, and you believe in my vision,&uot; West said.

West said when he left Natchez as a young man in 1964, &uot;I never dreamed that people such as myself could be elected Š much less as mayor of Natchez.&uot;

He acknowledged that he does not have that title, with a general election still to go. And today, he must turn his attention from the campaign to the special legislative session in Jackson.

But he said that back home in Natchez, his campaign will kick into an even higher gear. &uot;We’ve gone through two steps,&uot; he said, &uot;with the third step still left to go.&uot;