FOCUS: #MSWelfare/TANF Scandal • Jackson Water • Abortion • Race & Racism • Policing • Incarceration • Housing & Evictions
Pamela McKelvy Hamner never thought she would run for political office. After all, she was a reporter for 30 years. She knew what politics were like—brutal. Eight years after local members of the Federation of Democratic Women started approaching her as a potential candidate for local office, Hamner decided to run.
Shira Stallworth is the self-proclaimed Oprah Winfrey of Moss Point. “The Lavish Queen,” as the Moss Point personality is known from her popular local WGUD television show on the Gulf Coast, is one of eight candidates vying for the City of Moss Point’s top seat in the Democratic primary today, vacated by Mayor Mario King who resigned from office after he and his wife pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges in February.
Erin Hartfield feels comfortable with her four girls playing freely outside in her adopted home of Shuqualak, Miss. Her commitment to her daughters drives most of her decisions—including running for mayor of the small town, she says.
Jacque Amos recounts election days during her childhood the way many of us fondly remember holidays. The kitchen of her Jackson home always filled with excitement as she, her sisters, mother and father first ate their 7 a.m. breakfast. Afterward, the Amos family piled into the car and drove to the Grove Park voting precinct in Jackson. Now, she’s running for Jackson City Council—and working hard to get other women across Mississippi to run for office.
Afton Thomas thinks that Oxford could re-allocate its local support better, saying that the community has more than enough resources to support its citizens. “We have far too many resources in Oxford to have so many of our friends, neighbors and fellow community members struggling to make ends meet,” Thomas said. She plans to work to strengthen relationships between the City of Oxford and local organizations, so that nonprofits and municipal efforts can work hand-in-hand.
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