JACKSON — Mayor-elect Chokwe Lumumba sent an official statement in response to his Republican opponent Jason Wells’ call for a recount.
“We have no reason to suspect any impropriety in the tabulation of votes from Tuesday’s election. Mr. Wells is within his rights to question the process if he sees fit,” Lumumba said in a statement this morning.
On Tuesday night, Lumumba won the general election for mayor in a landslide with more than 20,000 votes against the Republican, several independents and a Libertarian candidate. That same night on Facebook, the upset Wells posted numerous status updates questioning the ballot counting process, saying that “they are cheating.”
Wells received 900 votes, or 4 percent of the total. Lumumba received 23, 175 votes, or 93 percent. Wells told the Jackson Free Press Wednesday evening that he would decide on Thursday whether to request a ballot recount or not, but has not responded to follow-up telephone calls.
The Jackson Free Press contacted Ebony Lumumba, the media chairwoman for the Lumumba campaign and the soon-to-be first lady, Wednesday evening for a statement after speaking with Wells. The Lumumbas responded with the official statement early this morning.
Wells ran on a campaign largely focusing on building more jails in unused buildings such as the old Coca-Cola plant on Highway 80, and building an aquarium in front of City Hall.
Email city reporting intern William Kelly at william@jacksonfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter at @William_Reports.
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