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Magnolia Political Report
February 20, 2003
(Number 38)
MagnoliaReport.com
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Continuing his tour on Monday, the candidate traveled around the state - Olive Branch, Hattiesburg, Gulfport, and Pascagoula - where he made similar announcements to local press and crowds of local people, formally stating his intentions to run for governor, and pledging to correct the financial crisis that has surfaced within state government over the last 3 years under Governor Ronnie Musgrove’s watch.

On Tuesday, Haley Barbour and his campaign team made announcement stops in Meridian, Columbus, Tupelo, and Greenville, prior to making a second appearance in Yazoo City for a hometown fish fry with friends and family.

Governor Musgrove has yet to make his campaign intentions officially known, but most believe that he will seek re-election to the Governor’s office in 2003, and will announce those intentions shortly. Musgrove has been touring around the state announcing the huge education bill that the legislature recently passed.

Musgrove recently recruited Lisa McMurray who formerly served as the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia’s chief of staff. This addition almost positively assures that Musgrove will run for re-election.

Barbour has rolled out the Mississippi campaign team from Congressman Chip Pickering’s 2002 victory and reassembled them into the nucleus of his 2003 campaign staff. Henry Barbour, Haley’s nephew, and former Pickering Campaign Manager, will be leading the “Barbour for Governor” crew. Other non-Pickering additions include Jim Perry, former LD for Congressman Roger Wicker, DiAnne Owen, formerly with BG&R in Washington D.C., Whit Hughes, who was the finance director for the successful Elizabeth Dole Senate race, and Austin Barbour.

Many are still waiting to see if any unexpected new comers decide to test the gubernatorial waters of Mississippi in 2003. Gulfport businessman Dave Dennis was interviewed by Paul Gallo, host of the Gallo Radio Show, this week, saying that he has not completely ruled out a run for Governor. Trial attorney John Arthur Eaves, Jr. might test Musgrove’s strengths in the August Democratic primary. It is doubtful that any of these newcomers enter these respective primaries, and instead we will most probably be left with the Musgrove-Barbour Governor’s race. This opens the door for an attention-grabbing debate at the Neshoba County Fair in August.

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LACE ‘EM UP!
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In the last report, we asked the rhetorical political question “who had their running shoes on?” And in the two weeks hence, Senator Barbara Blackmon of Canton decided to lace up her running shoes and throw her hat (one of many) into the Lieutenant Governor’s race. As the first announced Democratic candidate, it is widely speculated in political circles that Blackmon will be a force in getting African American voters to turn her way in any Democratic primary, and in doing so, will prohibit any other possible democratic challengers from accumulating enough white Democratic primary voters to trump Blackmon’s African American base.

Blackmon’s new campaign manager is 30-yr-old Jeffrey Hewitt, President of Heartland Campaigns in Ohio. An experienced campaigner, Hewitt has managed campaigns in both Texas and Arkansas, his first being the Clinton-Gore campaign in 1992. Blackmon has also begun organizing her finance committee, and has named attorney Isaac Byrd the finance chairman.

Former Supreme Court Justice Jim Roberts, who announced 3 weeks ago that he is also eyeing the Lieutenant Governors race, qualified today as a Democrat, and left many political observers speechless. The popular belief is that he received pressure from operatives on both sides of the line to run for Attorney General. This primary will be extremely heated and the victor will ultimately face Incumbent Lt. Governor Amy Tuck.

Tuck has been gearing up her reelection campaign by hiring former political director of the Mississippi Republican Party and former Senator Trent Lott campaign manager, Chip Reynolds. Other representatives from the successful Pickering campaign as well as the successful 2002 Jess Dickinson Supreme Court campaign have been enlisted by Tuck to help her win reelection.

Tuck’s first obstacle toward that reelection bid would have been an early August Republican primary against GOP challenger and Jackson ophthalmologist, Dr. Randy Russell. However, Russell announced today that he will not seek the position of Lieutenant Governor and will pursue other endeavors.

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Hits to Magnolia Report Web Page This Week
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Monday – Wednesday: 16,171
Record Day Yesterday: 7,138
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FOUR MOORE YEARS? NOPE
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On Tuesday, February 18th, Moore officially announced that he is not seeking another term in the AG’s office and that he is going to run for Governor in 2003.

Click Here to Read the official announcement

Moore was first elected as Mississippi’s Attorney General in 1987 and has easily won reelection in his following races. He stated that the time has come to take a break from elected office and return to private practice as well as spend more time with his wife and 16-year-old son.

Click Here for the “2003 Rumor Mill” to find out who is considering a run for Attorney General

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JUST WHO TREASURES THE TREASURER’S OFFICE?
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In the wake of Marshall Bennett retiring from the Treasurer’s office, at least two new candidates have qualified to run, and several more are seriously considering the election.

For the Democrats, Senator Rob Smith of Richland has qualified to run for the vacated Treasurer position. Smith served in the House of Representatives from 1980 to 1984 and has served in the Senate since 1984. According to insiders, Smith is currently organizing his race by interviewing consulting firms, deciding on campaign logos, and developing a campaign message. Smith is also working on piecing together his finance team to raise the money he thinks is necessary for effectively portraying his message to the voters.

Thus far, carrying the banner for the GOP is Commissioner Wayne Burkes of Clinton, who also recently qualified for the position. Burkes most recently served in elected office in Mississippi as Central District Transportation Commissioner and was appointed in 1999 as a Commissioner on the U.S. Surface Transportation Board in Washington D.C. Burkes is also full steam ahead, organizing his campaign.

A few other names have been mentioned in the political circles as possible candidates for Treasurer. One candidate emerging as Democratic contender is Cindy Ayers Elliott of Jackson. Ayers Elliott worked for 6 years in the Bennett Treasurer’s office as Bennett’s administrator, and has most recently been an investment officer of a Wall Street firm. Prior to that, Ayers Elliott was founder and chairman of First American Bank located in Jackson. According to sources, Ayers Elliott is already organizing behind the scenes and has asked Dr. Sylvia Stewart of Jackson to serve as her finance chairman.

House of Representatives member Andrew Ketchings of Natchez is also a possible Treasurer candidate in the Republican primary. Ketchings has served in the House since 1995, and has already made public his intentions not to run for the House of Representatives. However, a Treasurer’s race might or might not be the spot Ketchings decides is the best place he can serve.

In addition, Hinds County business lawyer Joe Nosef is reportedly being courted by some Republican activists for the State Treasurer's race. Nosef's accounting and tax law background make him a natural for the position, and his ability to raise money and put together a sophisticated organization through his Pickering connections in the Metro Area and his contacts from the Delta to Southeast Mississippi make him an immediately formidable statewide candidate. He is currently qualified to run in the Republican primary for District 64 of the House of Representatives and has indicated no interest in the office of State Treasurer thus far with the qualifying deadline quickly approaching

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PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES
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The three elections for Transportation Commissioner are beginning to shape up around the state. Veteran state legislator and Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall announced his reelection bid on Thursday, February the 13th. Hall’s campaign machinery is up and running in full gear. There have been a couple of successful Hall reelection fundraisers, and Secretary of State Filings show that Hall has approximately $100,000 on hand in his campaign treasury to begin the election year. No names have emerged as either a Democratic or Republican challenger for Commissioner Hall thus far.

The Northern District seat on the Transportation Commission will be vacant since Commissioner Zack Stewart is retiring. Senator Bill Minor of Holly Springs has qualified to run for this position in the Democratic primary against former Burnsville Mayor A.T. Marlar, while DeSoto County Supervisor John Caldwell has qualified to run as a Republican. This contest is off to a slow start since, for the past two weeks, Minor has been in Jackson with the yearly legislative session business, whereas Caldwell was recently called up by his Marine Reserve unit to help man the war effort in Iraq. However, Minor has asked former Executive Director of the Democratic Party, Alice Skelton, to help him organize and run his campaign.

In the Southern District, Commissioner Wayne Brown, a Democrat from Lucedale, is preparing for reelection to his second full term, and has drawn a Democratic primary opponent, Buster Hamm, a member of the Jasper County Board of Supervisors. Brown has officially qualified for reelection, and is expected to present a formal announcement through the Southern District in March. Brown, a licensed engineer who spent a bulk of his career designing roads and bridges, has begun reelection fundraising with a successful fundraising letter, and has a number of fundraisers planned that are expected to fully fund his race.

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“QUOTABLE QUOTES”
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"I can't be a prissy, country club b**ch when I represent a 33 percent African-American district," - Senator Debbie Dawkins

“I am announcing publicly this morning that I will not be a candidate for re-election this year. I wanted to personally tell you. This has been the hardest decision I have ever made, but after prayer and long talks with my family, I have decided its time for a break from elected office.” – Attorney General Mike Moore

"I am running for Governor because we can do better… A strong leader will first tell the public the truth about our problems. A strong leader will set priorities and stick to them. A strong leader will fight for what’s right, whether it is politically popular or not. A strong leader will work with people, including other public officials, and not worry about who gets the credit." – Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Haley Barbour

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MAGNOLIA REPORT NOTES
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Congressman Chip Pickering (R-MS3) has added Brian Perry to his staff as Communications Director. Perry comes to the staff after serving as Deputy Editorial Page Editor of the Madison County Journal and Editor of MagnoliaReport.com. Perry replaces Quinton Dickerson who has gone to work for the Haley Barbour for Governor campaign. Perry no longer maintains, edits or writes for MagnoliaReport.com.