Incumbent John Worley and Missy Marshall grabbed significant leads in early voting and carried the margins to victory in two Collierville runoffs for alderman on Tuesday.

With all of the Collierville precincts and early voting calculated, the unofficial returns showed Worley with 59% of the vote in holding the Position 3 seat, while Marshall captured 65% to win the Position 4 race.

Collierville runoff: 3,883 ballots cast early before Dec. 8 election

The results from early voting were the first totals announced by the Shelby County Election Commission and set the trend for the rest of the night. Both Worley and Marshall held substantial leads when the early voting was released, almost assuring victory for both as turnout on Tuesday’s actual election day was light to very slow.

The final unofficial totals showed Worley with 3,438 to 2,434 for challenger Harold Booker. Marshall won her race, capturing 3,800 votes to 2,065 for William Boone.

As the earliest results were announced, cheers erupted at a small gathering for Worley and Marshall on John Green & Company Realtors rooftop on the southeast corner of Collierville’s Town Square.

“I’m so excited,” Marshall said. “I’m excited for our town. Our town showed up. ... I am grateful and relieved to work for our town.”

She thanked her family, friends, a multitude of volunteers and team members. She said no current board members asked her to run.

“I’m not a yes girl,” Marshall said. “I am a team player, and I believe in the leadership of our town. I didn’t just fight for us and our family. I fought for all families of Collierville.”

“I’m so proud of you,” Mayor Stan Joyner told Marshall. “You ran hard.”

Worley won his third term.

“It was a team effort of Missy’s people, our people,” Worley said.

The two teamed up for the runoff.

The runoffs for the two offices were the first in the southeast Shelby County Town since 2003.

In early voting, incumbent Worley had 2,257 votes in the race for his Position 3 alderman’s seat over the challenge of Booker, who had 1,635. Meanwhile, Marshall had 2,570 to lead Boone’s 1,376 for the remaining two years in the Position 4 term.

The candidates in the runoff were the top two finishers in the Nov. 3 municipal election, but failed to get at least 50% of the vote, forcing a runoff under Collierville election rules.

Those who went to the polls Tuesday added to the 3,883 who voted early.

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At 10 a.m. voters could walk right in at Central Church on Winchester. By 11a.m. at Southwind Elementary School — a temporary voting site for the runoff — only four had been to the location to vote.

Shortly before lunchtime at Sycamore Elementary, Booker — who finished second to Worley for Alderman Position 3 a little more than a month ago — said it had been few compared to the previous election.

Worley spent most of the day at Collierville Elementary School. Joyner’s wife, Linda, campaigned for the incumbent alderman and Marshall around lunchtime.

“It’s been slower than November and early voting this go around,” Worley said of Tuesday’s turnout.

Boone did not have volunteers holding signs at polls, but he drove his burgundy pickup truck around town with a flag bearing his name in the back. Alderwoman Maureen Fraser and Alderman John Stamps were holding signs for Worley and Marshall at polls, which Boone claimed created “animosity.” Booker had people holding signs for him at each of the polls.

Worley has served as alderman since 2012. As a homebuilder, he is strict on those wanting to develop in the town. Worley campaigned on continuing to move forward as he already has a foundation and understanding of Collierville’s inner workings. With anticipated changes among town staff during the next few years, he wants to make sure leadership is able to put people in place who understand Collierville. He also wants to make sure Collierville maintains quality public safety and remains fiscally responsible while continuing to provide services to residents.

Booker, a retired U.S. Army veteran, touted that he is not a developer throughout the campaign to try and gain support of any concerned by the pace of growth in the town. Booker wanted to control development on the south side of Collierville. 

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Boone, a former Collierville firefighter who was fired for bullying and creating a hostile work environment, ran on the platform of change. He boasted he is a longtime resident and Booker have run on a similar platform, vowing to represent the south side of Collierville.

Marshall spent decades in service leadership. She served in eight state departments, on three gubernatorial teams and with nine state commissioners. She also served on Collierville’s Tourism Board, Design Review Commission and is currently on the Planning Commission. She has consistently said that she wanted to use her experience to “preserve the quality of life” in Collierville. She and Worley have teamed up in recent weeks.

Worley and Marshall will take their oaths sometime in the next two weeks.