With three incumbents not running for re-election, there was bound to be some turnover in the Selma City Council next term.

According to unofficial numbers, there will be at least one more new councilperson and maybe two more depending on the outcome of a pair of runoffs.

Both Ward 8 and Ward 3 will hold runoffs in September to determine the winner.

In Ward 8, incumbent James Durry and challenger Jannie Venter are within eight votes of each other.

With the absentee ballots, Venter finished with 351 votes to Durry’s 343.

“I had predicted that there would be a runoff in my ward. Anytime you have five people running, the top two people will go into a run-off. I’m just proud to be one of the top two,” Durry said.

“I think the chances are good that I’m going to make it. I plan to work hard in this upcoming runoff election.”

Venter said she’s ready for another run.

“I thank God for the runoff, now we’ve got to get out and work hard,” she said. “That’s why they call me ‘double-duty.’ They’re going to get a double dose of me.

I’m rolling up my sleeves and starting all over again.”

Things were close in Ward 3 as well.

Incumbent Jean Martin didn’t know who her runoff challenger would be until the absentee ballots came in late Tuesday night. Martin finished with 382 votes, unofficially.

“I’m not too surprised, so many experts had told me that when that there’s that many people in a race, a runoff happens,” she said, “but I am going to win.”

Her main opponents, Michael Hayes and Felicia Owens-Dixon, had to wait for the absentee ballots to find out who would face Martin in the runoff.

In the end, Owens-Dixon won the right to move on to the next round. She finished with 249 votes to Hayes’ 210.

“I didn’t think Miss Martin was as strong as she was in this election,” Hayes said.

Owens-Dixon also expected a runoff.

“I really did, because there were two black candidates,” she said. “They were going to choose him (Michael Hayes) or me.”

Owens-Dixon said she will actively campaign for Hayes’ supporters.

“Candidates can be endorsed by somebody, but the people will make their choice on who they want to go with,” she said.

The one incumbent to lose outright was Ward 6 councilman B.L. Tucker.

Challenger Johnnie Leashore won 546-393.

“I worked long and hard with this campaign, the people spoke loud and clear in Ward 6,” Leashore said. “They were ready for a new councilperson to represent them and I answered the call.”

In the races with no incumbents, there were clear winners in each.

Reid Cain won Ward 2 over Anthony Smith, 584-347, unofficially.

“I want to thank all my supporters, from the people in Orrville to the people in Selma. I had a tremendous amount of support and I greatly appreciate that,” Cain said. “I want to thank the incumbents who have served and gave up their seats so people like me could have a chance. I look forward to working with the council and mayor to move our city forward.”

Dr. Cecil Williamson took Ward 1 easily over John T. Jowers, 1,168-163.

“I’m happy about the confidence of the people who voted for me and am looking forward to representing them in the ward as well as the city,” said Williamson who plans to resign his position on the Dallas County Board of Education. “We need to get a handle on crime in the city and to hear the shape of our finances. We need an independent audit of city finances.”

In Ward 4, Dr. Geraldine Allen won over Velma Crawford-Brewer, 638-288.

In Ward 5, incumbent Samuel L. Randolph beat challenger Herman Watts, 734-120.

“I knew all along I would win. I want to thank God and my family for being out on the campaign trail and co-workers,” Randolph said before also thanking his parents for raising him the right way. “I feel blessed to have another opportunity to work with Mayor (James) Perkins. I feel like a new kid that got his first car.”

In Ward 7, councilwoman Bennie Ruth Crenshaw rolled to a victory with a 629-336 win over her main challenger Lola Sewell.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Crenshaw said. “The plan now is to move forward, be progressive and make the people of Selma proud of us. We’re going to see some new faces, I know that these new faces will bring innovative ideas. I want to join hands with them. I basically want to continue to make a difference.”