Turnout rises to almost 56% and vote total jumps 24% compared to four years ago, plus over 75% voted early this time around

CELINA-Residents and property owners here gave Celina Mayor Luke Collins an overwhelming vote of confidence in the city election, as the current town leader was granted a second term by receiving almost 55% of the vote when Election Day polls closed Tuesday, June 3.

Alderman Kenny Westmoreland, who was the only incumbent running in an eight-person race, was also re-elected to his post, and will be joined by former Clay County Commissioner Micheal Boles and political newcomer Tracy Mills on the city’s governing board.

Collins tallied 291 of the 530 mayoral votes cast in the 2025 city election, while former two-term mayor Willie Kerr garnered 174 (32.83%) and former vice-mayor and alderman Justin Rich received 63 (11.89%).  There were also two write-in votes cast (.38%).

Boles was the leading vote getter in the alderman race with 240 votes (18.13%) and will succeed Rich as vice-mayor, while Mills finished a close second with 230 (17.37%) and Westmoreland retained his seat with 186 (14.05%).

The other five alderman candidates finished as follows:

• Dawn Dale, 145 (10.95%);

• Timmy Boles, 142 (10.73%);

• Patty Spears, 135 (10.20%);

• Kenneth Dale, 125 (9.44%); and

• Christopher Hayes, 118, (8.91%).

A total of 536 votes were cast by the 958 registered voters here, representing a 55.95% turnout, which is over 12 points higher than the turnout of four years ago—when 43.83% of 988 registered voters exercised their civic duty.

Walk-in early votes (301) also more than doubled Election Day votes (128) this cycle, and the number of Election Day voters actually fell by nearly 20% compared to the 163 in 2021.

A total of 536 voters cast ballots in 2025, which surpasses the 433 total votes of the last cycle by 103 and represents a near 24% increase in the number of ballots cast this year compared to four years ago.

And over 75% of those came either by walk-in early vote (301) or mail-in absentee ballot (107), which totals 408.

Four years ago, a total of 270 early and absentee votes were cast, representing just over 62% of the total vote.

The following is a breakdown of the 2025 candidates’ Election Day, absentee, early, and total votes in that order:

Mayor

• Collins—53, 65, 173 (291);

• Kerr—47, 33,  94 (174); and

• Rich—25, 8, 30 (63).

Alderman

• Micheal Boles—54, 57, 129 (204);

• Mills—53, 35, 142 (230);

• Westmoreland—32, 51, 103 (186);

• Dawn Dale 44, 29, 72 (145);

• Timmy Boles 27, 34, 81 (142);

• Spears 31, 24, 80 (135);

• Kenneth Dale 36, 29, 60 (125); and

• Hayes 41, 11, 66 (118).

City Election results will be certified next Tuesday, June 17.

For more information on the city election, contact local administrator of elections Monica Davis at 931-243-2536.