Jackson Free Press logo

This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

Well, it was a good run. I would like to thank my supporters for their votes and efforts as we sought to receive a third term in the Mississippi House of Representatives. Falling 490 votes short, it is now time to express gratitude for the opportunity to serve and look forward to the next chapter of my life.

I will miss the atmosphere of the Capitol, yes that means I will not become a lobbyist, but now I have a chance to pursue other endeavors without having to explain why I have to go away for three months at a time. I am still getting invited to attend meetings about the upcoming session, but now I can pick and choose which ones I want to sit through, which I have to admit is pretty cool. Maybe I can lose some weight now that I am not required to attend all the receptions given to legislators.

Someone said in another blog that my life is defined by me being a legislator. Nine years is a very short life. I would hope that people will look at my work and say that I did my best to define the purpose of a legislator rather than the other way around. Again, I don’t know what the future holds, but as Amy Tuck has repeatedly said, “I know who holds my future,” and I am confident in my faith that He will place me where I need to be to fulfill my commitment to make this world a better place.

My target in public service was based on a scripture in the Holy Bible found in the Gospel of Matthew, the sixth chapter and the tenth verse (KJV): “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” I don’t believe that 25 percent of Heaven is financially broke, but that is the condition we have in this great state. So whether I am in political office or not, I will do what I can to help attain Heaven on Earth concerning the issue of poverty here.

I hope that I will continue to have a venue here at JFP and other sources to express my opinions about what is transpiring in Mississippi politics, for as you know, I do not have a problem in letting my voice be heard. Until then, enjoy the upcoming races and continue to participate in the process. Hmmm, Benford or Stokes, that is a good place to start.

Previous Comments

Once again, great post. I look forward to getting your opinions on what’s going on in the legislature, etc.


Well said Erik. [img]http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/aktion/action-smiley-033.gif[/img] Thanks for all you did and all you’re going to do, because I know you’re not done. Call up the local news channels Erik! They need some new blood for election analysis. I’ve had it with the likes of Matt Friedeman for a while now!

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.