GREENWOOD, Miss.—Larry Griggs wants to fix the energy crisis in his hometown of Itta Bena, Mississippi. While Griggs has lived in Greenwood—eight miles east of his native town—since 1979, the longtime Mississippi Deltan feels that Itta Bena deserves a better utilities system.
Griggs, the former vice president of operations at Greenwood Utilities, believes that having a larger corporation take control of Itta Bena’s power grid will help resolve some of the energy issues the small town faces.
“I would love to see Itta Bena allow Entergy to take over their grid, to be able to better handle the kinds of things that can happen in that area,” Griggs told the Mississippi Free Press on Feb. 18.
Griggs expressed these concerns at the Greenwood Voters League meeting. U.S. House Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi’s 2nd congressional district spoke with constituents and future voters about his campaign to continue representing the district.
“I plan on serving in this seat for as long as I can,” Thompson said on Feb. 18.
Thompson, 78, has represented Mississippi’s 2nd congressional district since 1993. With more than three decades of experience in Congress, the Bolton, Mississippi, native has advocated for economic development, affordable housing and health care, and equal education opportunities in both public and private state institutions, especially in HBCUs.
In 2021, Thompson raised $237 million in pandemic relief for the state’s HBCUs, helping students secure sustainable financial aid for education and housing.
“I have a 100% voting record for education, health care and housing for veterans. Every major entity that comes up, I’m 100%. I can’t be anything higher than 100%,” Thompson said on Feb. 18.
The Tougaloo College grad has served on notable committees in Congress including agriculture, budget, and small business. From 2007 to 2011 and 2019 to 2023, Thompson served as the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. In 2021, he chaired the Select Committee to investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.
During his speech at the Greenwood Voters League meeting, Thompson spoke on the energy crisis in Itta Bena after his visit during the recent snow storm in late January.
“This is my third time working with the city of Itta Bena with their utility service. I’ve worked with Entergy to take over the service, but I had a challenge getting the local officials to accept it. With the help from their board of supervisors and an ice storm, I think we are where we need to be,” Thompson said on Feb. 18.
Thompson acknowledged that there were other candidates running for the seat in his conversation to constituents. While he did not name the other candidates, he did mention that it was their right to run for public office in a democratic society.
“I’ll defend anybody’s right to run against me. It’s the American way. We choose our leaders at the ballot box. After we choose them, then we go forward. I just hope that people who run, if they don’t win, they stay around,” Thompson said.
Evan Turnage is one of Thompson’s opponents in the March 10 Democratic primary. With roots linked to both Cleveland and Jackson, Turnage is a 33-year-old Morehouse College alum. Having worked closely with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, Turnage has led Senate judiciary efforts, judicial nominations, antitrust voting rights, and civil-rights initiatives from 2021 to 2025. During his time working in the Senate, Turnage was able to write many acts including the No Kings Act, the Digital Protection Consumer Act, and the Prohibiting Anticompetitive Mergers Act.
Returning back to the Jackson area, Turnage wants to bring a new face and new ideas to the constituents of Mississippi’s 2nd congressional district, fighting for economic rights.
“Mr. Thompson has been a public official for the last 57 years and that’s admirable. I’m running as an alternative vision. I have a different way that I see things. I’m focusing on taking civil rights and economic rights,” Turnage told the Mississippi Free Press on Feb. 11.
Pertis Herman Williams III rounds out the candidates in the Democratic primary. On the Republican side, Ron Eller and Kevin Wilson will meet for their party’s nomination on March 10.
Griggs plans to continue supporting incumbent candidate Bennie Thompson; he expects quality leadership from whoever is elected.
“I look forward to doing whatever I can to help get the vote out. Hopefully the candidate that is best qualified for the position is the one who is elected,” Griggs told the Mississippi Free Press on Feb. 18.