Unofficial returns show that Fitch received 52 percent of the vote, compared to Taggart’s 48 percent. Fitch’s November general elections opponent is also trying to make history. She wants to be the first woman to win the office and the first African American to hold a state office in Mississippi since 1800s. Fitch will be facing Jennifer Riley-Collins (Democrat), former executive director at the Mississippi ACLU. This will mark the third time that two women have been nominated by major parties and will compete for the same statewide office. In 2003, the incumbent Republican Lt. Governor. To win a second term, Amy Tuck defeated Barbara Blackmon (D-Canton), state senator. In 2011, Fitch won the first of his two terms as state treasurer. The November general election saw Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran defeating Fitch, a Democrat. Fitch declared on social media that he won Tuesday’s election. Taggart stated that he has no regrets. He said, “We worked as hard we could, but the voters chose to vote for the other candidate.” “I want Mississippi to be a place where there are no wrong sides – no right or wrong side. Retired Army veteran Riley-Collins stated that Mississippi is a land of opportunity. Fitch is also vying for the office of the state’s first Republican Attorney General in modern times. Recent elections have seen Republicans win seven of eight statewide offices, while Democrat Jim Hood retained the office of attorney general. Hood is running for governor and will be facing Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who beat former Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court Bill Waller Jr. in Tuesday’s Republican primaries, won 54 percent to 46 percent. As expected, the number of people who voted in Tuesday’s runoff was lower than that which took place on Aug. 6, in the first Republican primary. Nearly 326,000 people voted Tuesday in the governor’s race – 55,000 more than on Aug. 6. Runoff elections, which are required when no candidate has received a majority of the vote in the primary, usually see a drop in turnout. On Tuesday night, Democrat De’Keither Stamps (a Jackson City Council member) defeated Dorothy Benford in order to win the Democratic nomination as Central District Public Service Commissioner. Brent Bailey is the Republican nominee. John Caldwell, from DeSoto County, defeated Geoffrey Yoste, of Lafayette County to win Republican nomination for Northern District Transportation Commissioner. Joey Grist is the Democratic nominee. He is a former Calhoun County state House member.