Gulfport Municipal Election Commission Upholds Candidate Disqualification

“Very disappointed in there decision. The facts and law certainly favor me to be a candidate for Ward 5 and we’re going to continue to push that fight.”

That’s how Gulfport resident Derek Bullock describes the Election Commission’s decision to deny his appeal to run for the Ward 5 City Council seat.

“I find it really strange the committee ruled in favor of my candidacy initially and then changed their minds the next day. They certainly got it wrong in their decision today.”

This decision was made by the Gulfport Municipal Election Commission and Chairman Ferrell Alman who says this decision was made because of Bullocks residency.

“The two year rule goes from the date of the election, February 18th, 2025, and you go back two years to February 18th, 2023. If you look at the dates even though the lines were moving around him he did not live in the Ward for two years.”

Though Bullock argues that the residency issue keeping him from running was brought on by the city.

“The city is mandated by law to do their redistricting within six months of the 2020 census. They waited for two years. By them waiting for so long it doesn’t give candidates like myself a chance to meet that residency requirement because the new district has existed for less than two years.”

Despite pleas from Bullock, the Election Commission doesn’t see it the same way.

“Fair is upholding the laws that we are sworn to uphold. The law says he has to live in this Ward for two years and he can not prove he lived in this Ward for two years.”

Bullock is also filed to run as a Republican for regular municipal elections this spring. The Gulfport Republican Municipal Executive Committee now must decide if Bullock meets the residency requirement to run in their April 1st primary.