Taylor Walker will be the next District 5 trustee on the Prentiss County school board after taking a clear majority in a three-way race on Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to unofficial results reported by the Booneville Banner-Independent. Walker’s share of the vote was big enough to avoid a runoff.
Prentiss County School Board District 5 Results
Unofficial totals for the Prentiss County School District Board of Trustees, fifth district:
Taylor Walker: 556 votes (55.16%)
Paula Stennett: 336 votes (33.33%)
Mallory King: 115 votes (11.41%)
Mississippi school board races need a majority to win outright. Walker passed the 50% mark, so no runoff is needed. The report noted that 49 affidavit ballots in the district were still to be reviewed Wednesday. Even if every one of them were counted for another candidate, the outcome would not change.
The seat had been held for years by longtime trustee Randy Maness, who died earlier this year. Because the post was already up for election in 2026, it was filled in the regular general election rather than in a special election.
Election Commission Seat Filled
Voters in the county’s third district also filled an election commission post. Cadley Burns ran unopposed in a special election for the unexpired term of his mother, who stepped down from the county election commission earlier this year.
How Prentiss County Voted in Statewide and Federal Races
Prentiss County voters strongly backed Republican incumbents up and down the ballot:
U.S. Senate: Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith received 5,282 votes in the county, Democrat Scott Colom 1,815, and independent Ty Pinkins 171.
U.S. House, 1st District: the county backed U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, who was reelected across the district.
Mississippi Court of Appeals: incumbent Judge John Weddle received 4,830 votes in Prentiss County to 1,754 for challenger Derek Dewayne Hopson, and was returned to the court.
What Happens Next
All totals are unofficial until county election officials finish reviewing affidavit and absentee ballots and certify the results. Accepted affidavit ballots will be added to the final count. Walker is expected to take the District 5 seat on the Prentiss County School District board once results are certified.
The Prentiss County School District serves schools across the county outside the Booneville and Baldwyn city districts, including Jumpertown, Marietta, New Site, Thrasher and Wheeler. The district recently earned its fifth straight “A” rating from the Mississippi Department of Education.
Jon R Myers is the executive editor of Alcorn County News and the founder of the Mississippi News Group, which he started in 2013 to cover communities across North Mississippi. He also founded the Mississippi Sports Group in 2006, which grew from a single community publication into a statewide network covering high school and college athletics. He reports on local government, public safety, schools and community life in Corinth and Alcorn County, working from public meetings, agency records and interviews with the people involved. Contact him at editor@alcornnewsms.com with news tips or corrections. For a correction, include the article link and supporting source material.
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