Another candidate seeking a seat on Oxford’s Board of Aldermen withdrew their name this week from this year’s municipal elections.

D. Ryan Grover pulled out of the race to fill the Ward III seat, which is being vacated by current Alderman Janice Antonow after she completes her sixth term in June.

Oxford City Clerk Ashley Atkinson confirmed Grover’s decision on Wednesday, but did not cite a reason for no longer challenging for the seat.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s opinion issued on Feb. 3 states that candidates must have lived in the ward they are seeking to represent for at least two consecutive years prior to the election. This opinion has impacted candidates in municipal elections across the state.

Grover’s withdrawal marks the third candidate pull out of an Alderman race since last week. Oxford realtor Harry A. Alexander announced his withdrawal from the Ward I race on Feb. 5, the final day to qualify for this year’s elections. Alexander’s announcement was followed by Erin Smith announcing her intention to back out of the Ward I race as well.

Both Alexander and Smith’s resignations were due to Fitch’s opinion, as they both cited they had not lived at their current residents for 24 straight months. Opting to not challenge the opinion, both candidates decided to back out of this year’s election, and leaving incumbent Rick Addy and Billy Crews as the lone candidates in the Ward I race.

Both Addy and Crews are running as Democrats and will face off in the April 6 primary, where the winner will be unopposed in the June 8 general election.

With Grover’s departure, the Ward III race is now down to three. Democratic candidates Brian Hyneman and Alexandria White will square off in a primary, while Republican candidate L. McQueen Miscamble will await the winner in the general election.

All remaining Democratic candidates in primary elections were certified by the Lafayette County Democrat’s Executive Committee on Monday. All candidates not running in a primary are still awaiting their certification status for the general election by the Municipal Election Commission.

A full list of the candidates in this year’s municipal elections can be viewed below:

Mayor —

Robyn Tannehill (I)

Brandon Pettis (I)

Kyle Davis (R)

Ward I —

Rick Addy (D)

Billy Crews (D)

Ward II —

Mark Huelse (R)

Afton Thomas (D)

Ward III —

Brian Hyneman (D)

Alexandria White (D)

L. McQueen Miscamble (R)

Ward IV —

Kesha Howell Atkinson (D)

Ward V —

Preston Taylor (D)

Justin Boyd (D)

Tracey L. Williams (D)

Barney Chadwick (R)

Ward VI —

Jason Bailey (R)

Migueel Centellas (D)

At-Large —

John Morgan (I)

Linda Porter Bishop (D)