Two individuals have qualified for the election to fill the vacant Ward 2 city commission seat. The seat remains open after former commissioner Kentaiwon Durham pleaded guilty in federal court in June to wire transfer fraud in connection with a fraudulent PPP loan application he filed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Durham received $19,075 as a result.
Qualifying for the Ward 2 seat opened Monday morning. Thus far, Tonji Simpson and Mickeayla Clark have qualified for the seat. Simpson is a newcomer to local politics while Clark has for the seat once before. In 2019, she faced off against Durham and Rodney Johnson in a three-person race. She finished second to Durham with 121 votes; Durham won with 242 votes.
Qualifying will remain open until Friday at noon. Qualifying takes place at the elections office on Pearl Avenue. The qualifying fee is $216 and the election will take place during the November general election.
