NATCHEZ &045; Only two school board members were elected Tuesday night, while the three remaining districts will be determined in the April 17 runoff.

Ernest Lynn White, District 5, Place B, the incumbent, defeated Lonnie Hughes with 388 votes, or 58.61 percent, to Hughes’ 274 votes, or 41.39 percent. White said the close race did not surprise him.

&uot;I’m going to keep doing what we are doing,&uot; he said. &uot;I’m happy with the way things are.&uot;

Gary Parnham defeated incumbent Donald Joseph by 770 votes in the District 3, Place A race.

&uot;I’m just elated the people of Vidalia elected me,&uot; the 38-year Concordia Parish school veteran Parnham said Tuesday night. &uot;My heart and soul is in this school system. That’s why I ran.&uot;

In District 1, Place A there will be a runoff between Johnnie Brown, who received 484 votes, and Melanie Watson, who received 613 votes.

Brown said voters should choose him because of his 15 years of experience with the district.

&uot;I just work. I let the people decide what they want to decide,&uot; Brown said. &uot;I’m just going to intensify my campaign. I didn’t campaign as much as I should have.&uot;

Watson, who received 44.01 percent of the vote out of three candidates, said she was going to campaign harder for the runoff.

&uot;I worked hard, gave 100 percent and I’m going to continue to work,&uot; 23-year-old Watson said. &uot;They voted for me because I’m young, willing and eager to do a job.&uot;

In District 3, Place B, candidate Jerry Roberts received 498 votes, or 42 percent, to incumbent Darrell &uot;Bubba&uot; Crofford’s 391 votes, or 33 percent, putting the two in a runoff.

Bill Staggs Sr. received 304 votes, or 25 percent.

Crofford said even though he would have to wait until April for the final results he would be doing his part in &uot;taking care of the schools to make sure they’re financially sound and trying to keep good teachers.&uot;

Roberts could not be reached for comment after returns were tallied.

Cindy Harper and Jimmy Wilkinson will be in a runoff for the District 4, Place B school board seat. Harper won 397 votes, or 39 percent, Tuesday to Wilkinson’s 351 votes, or 34 percent. Donald Whittington received 270 votes, or 27 percent.

While Wilkinson could not be reached for comment, Harper said she was disappointed with Tuesday’s low voter turnout.

&uot;Next time, I’ll probably do more phone calling to remind people to vote,&uot; Harper said.

&uot;But I do want to thank all those who voted for me.

&uot;I was disappointed with the fact that, with the education and background I have, I didn’t get more (votes) than I did,&uot; she said.

From now until the election, Harper said she would campaign hard.

&uot;I’ll give it my all, and the results are going to have to be up to the voters.&uot;

Jessica Waldon and

Nita McCann

contributed to this report.