Ballot Box Revolt: Ocean Springs Cleans House After Years of Scandal and Silence

OCEAN SPRINGS, MS – Residents of Ocean Springs made a statement by ousting every challenged incumbent from the city’s government on Tuesday. The stunning turnover spoke of a town tired of closed door whispers, hungry for honesty, and ready to reclaim its voice.

At the top of the Republican Primary ballot, Bobby Cox delivered a political earthquake, defeating incumbent Mayor Kenny Holloway in a landslide. Cox captured a staggering 74 percent of the vote, while Holloway — once thought to be politically untouchable — limped to the finish line with just 16 percent.

First term Alderman Jennifer Burgess was unseated by Steve Tillis in Ward 1. Tillis was able to snag nearly double the votes as Burgess. He will face Independent Greg Gipson in the June 3^rd General Election.

Rickey Authement, a favorite of some downtown business owners, was defeated by Karen Stennis – who grabbed nearly 60 percent of the Ward 2 votes.

Shannon Grace Pfeiffer edged out Jerry Munro for the seat left open by outgoing Ward 4 Alderman Ken Papania.

And in Ward 6, long time Alderman Mike Impey will leave his post after nearly 70 percent of the voters looked to newcomer Julie Messenger.

Planning Commissioner Matthew Hinton beat a field of four for the open Alderman at Large spot. He will face Independent Oren Zweig in the General Election. Ward 3 Alderman Kevin Wade cruised to safety with nobody challenging his position. Rob Blackman faced no opponents on Tuesday, but will square off against Independent James Lewis for the Ward 5 seat in June.

How Did This Happen?

This wasn’t just a political shake-up — it was a rejection. A rejection of the secrecy, arrogance, and the slow, suffocating erosion of public trust.

Over the last several years, many residents observed the Board of Aldermen abandoning their roles as ward representatives, instead operating as a single-minded bloc in service to the mayor — propping up Kenny Holloway as something he was never meant to be: an all-powerful executive in a system designed to prevent exactly that.

Ocean Springs is supposed to have a weak mayor form of government. Power is supposed to rest on the shoulders of the Board, with each alderman accountable to their ward.

But that principle was cast aside. This was made evident each time Alderman Jennifer Burgess erroneously declared herself a part of the “mayor’s administration” or when Rickey Authement dismissed controversial measures passed by saying, “Oh that’s a Kenny thing.”

Dismissive Arrogance

Last summer, Holloway wrote an op-ed telling residents to “step back from the keyboard” and to use Facebook only for sharing pictures of grandbabies, rather than criticizing his actions. During last month’s State of the City address, Holloway mocked those wanting to be informed by calling transparency nothing more than a buzzword.

At Board meetings, public commenters were dismissed. Rather than listening to residents voicing their concerns about zoning, bridges, and trees, the majority of aldermen played with their phones, shuffled papers, or stared blankly at the desk beneath them – anything to avoid the appearance of actually caring. And in some cases, aldermen would even leave the room to avoid having to listen to a resident they deemed as problematic.

When they asked questions, citizens were mostly met with silence. The city attorney would often act as a gatekeeper, informing the public, “This is a not a Q&A session.” When residents criticized, they were branded as troublemakers — villainized for daring to disagree. And when the media reported failures, rather than addressing the problems, officials attacked the messengers, often spreading lies and attacking reporters personally.

The ‘I Didn’t Know’ Factor

Over the last four years, accountability was nonexistent within the government of Ocean Springs. Elected officials repeatedly insisted they did everything right. When things went wrong, they pushed the blame towards others – often saying the public was being too vociferous or making too many public records requests.

And then there was the “I didn’t know” excuse.

Years of warnings from state inspectors went ignored, eventually leading to an emergency closure order that shut down the heavily traveled Hanshaw Road Bridge. Blackman and Holloway insisted they didn’t know why the bridge was ordered to be closed, despite the very letter issuing the demand explained in detail that the bridge had been failing for years.

When the public was informed the city attorney and former police chief had financial stakes in the failed Securix uninsured motorist ticketing program, Holloway again claimed ignorance. “It was six months before I even knew Securix was going on,” he told one media outlet. But that claim was contradicted by the several roll-out orders he signed off on early in his tenure – including the installation of cameras and hiring of officers whose sole role was to sign off on violations.

It’s clear residents would have preferred to have heard their elected officials say they made mistakes and offer a solution, rather than repeatedly claiming they didn’t know or pushing the blame to others.

Lessons Learned

Ocean Springs is known as the City of Discovery. Last Tuesday, the people in power discovered something they should have known all along — that the voices of residents aren’t just some boring opening act. They are the main event.

Voters didn’t just ask for change — they demanded it with a megaphone and a ballot. They reminded city leadership that public office isn’t a good ol’ boy club, and that “I didn’t know” doesn’t cut it when the house is on fire.

As the city turns the page, it does so with cautious optimism. A new slate of leaders is preparing to take the reins, many of them promising transparency, accessibility, and a return to basics. They have told us they will serve the people, listen to concerns, and govern with humility. For now, we believe them.

But, of course, that’s what the last crew said too.

The real lesson here isn’t just about who won and who lost. It’s that public trust is earned daily — not inherited, not assumed, and certainly not owed. The people of Ocean Springs showed up to the polls to remind everyone at City Hall: this town belongs to them.

Now comes the hard part — turning hope into habit.

After all, this is the City of Discovery. And the people just rediscovered their power.