Four candidates vie for rare open NE Mississippi legislative seat
The district generally is viewed as solidly leaning Republican, but Democrats
But on the Republican side, accountant
Because the seat is vacant, it is generating intense interest from throughout the state.
Aguirre
The 42-year-old accountant said he always has been interested in politics and decided to run for the vacant
"I want to be the best advocate for Lee County I can be," Aguirre said. "I want to do what I can to help recruit businesses to the area, do what I can to help strengthen schools.
"The schools in
Aguirre conceded he signed the petition to help put Initiative 42, designed to strengthen the state's commitment to public education, on the November ballot. Upon further reflection, though, he said he does not support the initiative.
"I do want to work to find a better way rather than having to go to courts," said Aguirre, echoing the comments of Initiative 42 opponents saying the proposal, if passed, would put funding of the schools in the judiciary instead of
Aguirre said he "fully supports" full funding, but "as an accountant I know what it is like to have to balance a budget. I know
As an accountant working as a comptroller for a nursing home company, Aguirre also said he appreciates the importance of health care access, but said he does not know how the state can afford to expand
When it comes to changing the state flag as has been advocated by Republican Speaker
Prince
With the
Prince, a real estate agent and president of a company that builds cell phone towers, said he is active on various community boards and will bring that willingness to work for the betterment of the community to the state House seat.
"Obviously, education is one of the key, if not the key, issues in the state," Prince said. "We have to get off the bottom of these lists of education attainment."
Prince, 44, said he "totally supports" full funding of education, but also said "I don't think we should mandate funding based on the MAEP formula."
The Mississippi Adequate Education Program is the mechanism used to provide the state's share of most of the basics to the local school districts.
He said he is "adamantly against" Initiative 42.
"I don't think a judge in
But Prince added that if the people vote to approve the initiative in November, "I am good with that."
When asked if he would support expanding
"But how do we fund it?" he asked.
He said he hopes to be more involved "in those conversations" if elected.
He said growing the economy would provide more revenue for issues such as education and health care.
While he did not take a position on how he would vote on changing the state flag, which has the Confederate battle emblem as part of its design, he did say "I do understand that it does affect some people and is viewed as an offensive symbol. We don't need to be offensive. We need to be unifying and coming together."
At the same time, he said the flag for him is a symbol "of Southern heritage" and "fond memories of my time at Ole Miss."
Newman
In the early 1990s, Newman ran an unsuccessful race for the at-large seat on the
"We wonder why we are 50th in everything," Newman said recently. "I am tired of it so I decided to run. I bill myself as the contrarian/independent Democrat. ...
"We can't keep sending the same people (to serve in
Newman said the key issues are education and generational poverty. He said a commission is needed to look at needs to address "generational poverty" over a period of years.
"We are not going to solve this in two years or four years," he said.
"It is a giant puzzle, but we have to have some priorities," he said. "Education, getting kids out of poverty and health care solve a lot of those problems in the long run."
Newman said he supports full funding of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, while at the same time saying efforts must be made to look for ways to change and reform the schools. He said he supports the citizen-sponsored Initiative 42 that would enhance the state's commitment to fund public education.
And Newman, who ended his professional career working with the
On the issue of changing the state flag, as proposed by the House speaker, Newman said, "That flag is the history of
Penson
"Disappointment" with the commitment to education by
"I feel like given the history of our area ... and all the support from our area for public education, that we still have seen that support dwindle in recent years," he said. "I feel it is tantamount to developing a better quality of life. That is basically why I am running."
Penson also said he is a strong supporter of the citizen-sponsored Initiative that enhances the state's commitment to funding education and worked to garner the signatures to get it on the November ballot.
Penson, who started the
"Fully funding public education and also keeping in place the Public Employees Retirement System are big issues for me," he said. "We made a promise and commitment to our teachers and state employees.
"The last thing we need to do is not honor that. I will fight to keep that retirement system in place."
He said expanding
"I believe we have too many Mississippians, especially working class Mississippians, who do not have insurance," he said. "
Under
As far as the possible debate on changing the state flag, which includes the Confederate battle emblem as part of its design, "We do not need a symbol that divides us. My position is we need to look for a new flag."
Twitter: @BobbyHarrison9
___
(c)2015 the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (Tupelo, Miss.)
Visit the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (Tupelo, Miss.) at www.djournal.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News