Port Arthur mayoral candidates Harold Doucet and Derrick Freeman will face one another in a runoff election after none of the three candidates seeking the position received more than 50 percent of the vote. A runoff set for June 28.

The race was close with only a few votes difference between the three candidates.

Doucet garnered the most votes, with 1,168 or 39.97 percent of the city’s 31,403 registered voters.

Freeman came in a close second with 1,071 votes or 33.90 percent while Janice Milo, during her first political race, made a good showing with 92, or 29.12 percent of the votes.

Freeman, 40, is a former City Councilman. He is owner of Marketing Innovations and Network development or MIND.

“We first want to thank everyone that came out to vote,” Freeman said Saturday. “We will be back knocking on doors and getting the message out, we are excited to still be in the race and are in it to win it.”

Freeman said he wanted to thank Milo for her involvement and for the clean race she ran.

Thanks also went to all his supporters.

“ I want to say a big thank all the voters for coming out,” Freeman said. “We look forward to seeing all of you at the end of June.”

Freeman said he hopes next time around more voters will go to the polls.

Only 3,260 of the city’s 31,404 of the city’s 31,404 registered voters, or 10.38 percent, went to the polls to cast their ballots during the city and school board election.

Freeman also hopes the runoff will take a different slant.

“ I am hoping the negativity stops and we can run a clean race, we’ve heard enough of the negative, its time to talk about the issues,” Freeman said.

Doucet, 66, is a former City Councilman and Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation member. He is retired from the U.S. Army.

Doucet could not be reached for comment for this story.

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